Dele Ogbodo in Abuja and Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), friday, said six of its personnel attached to the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, have been dismissed.
The Rivers State Government has described the sack of the policemen as a sad development, particularly for the image of the Nigeria Police Force.
A statement signed by DCP, Don Awunah, the Force Public Relations Officer, said they were dismissed for misuse of firearms during the last parliamentary election last year.
Awunah said the six officers would also be prosecuted under the Electoral Act to serve as deterrent to others.
According to him, the six officers flouted the rules by flagrantly escorting their principals and political office holders to polling booths during the election.
Awunah, gave their names and identities as: “AP/No.177893 EX. Inspr. Eyong Victor N; F/No. 400872 EX. Sgt Peter Ekpo; F/No.374585 EX. Sgt Oguni Goodluck; F/No. 385870 EX. Sgt. Orji Nwokev; F/No. 234216 EX. Sgt. Okpe Ezekiel; and F/No. 437983 EX. Sgt. Tanko Akor.”
He said the officers were found guilty after discreet investigations into their misconducts during the election, adding, the six personnel of the Force were found guilty of total disrespect to orders and directives, compromised, engaged in unprofessional acts and other unbecoming conduct.
According to him, the officers, after the conclusion of investigation of mischief, were subjected to internal disciplinary measures, found guilty and consequently dismissed from the Force.
Their offences, the PRO added included escorting the governor and their principal to polling both during the re-run election, which is contrary to instruction given by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris.
Awunah, said they were also tried for storming the Port Harcourt City Council Secretariat thereby preventing the movement of election results of Emouha polling unit to the appropriate collation centre designated by INEC, in flagrant disregard and disobedience to senior Police officers present at the venue.
The statement read: “In the case of the recent parliamentary election in Rivers State, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) resolve to secure the electoral process was reciprocated with the unethical conduct of some bad eggs within the Force.
“Inspite of strict warnings and instructions from the IGP that all Police personnel on election duty should be of good conduct and desist from escorting politicians to polling units throughout the period of the election, some recalcitrant police personnel were still found blatantly breaching these directives. This is unacceptable by all standards in the Force.”
The statement stressed further that they have also instituted comprehensive measures to ensure compliance with strict rules of professional behaviour and code of conduct for officers and men under his watch.
“Consequently, personnel of the Force who abuse their office, privileges and discretionary powers in the discharge of their official duties, will be brought to justice,” the statement said.
According to Awunah, the unruly acts if not checked can be inimical to discipline and proper administration of the Force, stressing that their actions were capable of bringing the entire Nigeria Police Force to disrepute and portray the Force in a very bad light as a lawless organisation not guided by the rule of law.
He said, “The Service personnel became overzealous, took laws into their hands and opened fire, causing panic in the crowd.”
In a swift reaction, the Rivers State Government described the sack of the six Police officers in the state by the police high command as a “sad day for the Nigerian Police force.”
Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George, said the officers were only victimised for stopping an assassination attempt on Gov. Wike.
In a statement released in Port Harcourt yesterday, Tam-George said, “These officers committed no crime, other than stopping a carefully planned assassination attempt on the life of Governor Wike.
“The officers are the latest victims of the medieval authoritarianism of the APC government that seems to lurch blindly in the miasma of its own incompetence.
“We urge Nigerians to demand the immediate reinstatement of these officers, and for the Inspector General of Police to allow an independent inquiry.
“The APC government has never hidden it’s desperation to overrun Rivers State, colonise its people and loot the treasury of the state, but the Rivers people have seen the face of the Lord, and will spare no sacrifice as we resist the satanic agenda of the APC government.”
