A Legal Practitioner, Chibuzor Obiajunwa, has petitioned IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, demanding the sack and prosecution of three police officers allegedly involved in extortion.
In the petition dated May 18, Mr Obiajunwa said the officers’ demotion was not enough. He said the trio had intercepted an unregistered Mercedes Benz at Gwarimpa, Abuja, and forced its occupants to part with N29.4 million.
According to him, this was established in the Orderly Room Trial, which was convened by the police to investigate the conduct of police officers.
He said the petition was to remind Mr Egbetokun that keeping officers, who were found guilty of extortion by the police internal investigations, to remain in the force was not healthy.
Mr Obiajunwa said keeping such extortionists in the police would amount to self-sabotage in trying to repair its battered image and regain the confidence of Nigerians.
He said the first duty of the police was to safeguard the lives and property of the public.
“I cannot resist the temptation to remind you at this juncture that this is exactly the type of apathy and aloofness that resulted in the #EndSARS protests. I hope you realise the gravity of men using the toga and colours of the Nigeria Police to intimidate citizens into parting with their monies,” he said.
The lawyer said demoting the officers as punishment for a serious offence like extortion would negatively dampen the morale of honest police officers within rank and file.
Mr Obiajunwa said the police’s failure to arraign the officers in court, despite the fact that extortion was a crime under Nigerian law, would worsen the situation and establish public suspicion.
On May 17, the police announced the demotion of the three officers to their previous ranks over the alleged extortion. The police said the officers attached to the Special Tactical Squad (STS) were demoted to their previous rank of Sergeant after thorough investigations confirmed their involvement in various acts.
(NAN)