Imo police command dismisses 7 ex-officers over corruption

The Imo State Police Command has dismissed seven ex-officers of the command for committing offenses ranging from discreditable conduct, corrupt practices, and leaving beats.

Their dismissal is the sequel to the inundation of the office of the Commissioner of Police with a series of reports/complaints by members of the public on Police brutality, harassment, extortion, illegal checking of phones, and flagrant disobedience to the Inspector-General of Police directives on extortion and incivility to members of the public.

In a statement issued Thursday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Michael Abattam, he said that the dismissed ex-officers have been charged to Court.

The affected officers include Ohakim Chibuzo with number F/No. 462315 Sgt.

Others include F/No. 505455 Sgt. From Finian, F/No. 505592 Sgt. George Osueke, F/No. 511966 Cpl. Kelechi Onuegbu, F/No. 512320 Cpl. Nwagoro Isdore, F/No. 528165 PC Nwadike Stephen and F/No. 528156 PC Ihemtuge Plastidus.

The police Spokesman said that the ex-policemen were arrested on 8th November 2022 in a bank in Umuahia, Abia State, in the course of performing illegal duty outside their jurisdiction and conspiracy to extort money from an innocent victim.

He said that they were defaulted, tried, and found guilty of the charges leveled against them, and as a result, they were summarily dismissed and charged to Magistrate Court, Owerri with Charge Sheet Number: No. OW/746C/2022.

However, the Commissioner of Police CP Mohammed Berde has directed all Area Commanders, Heads of Departments (HODs), Divisional Police Officers (DPO), and Tactical Teams Commanders of the various units in the Command to ensure their subordinates are warned against indulging in these sharp practices as any Police Officer found complicit will be made to face disciplinary actions.

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He further directed the officers in charge of the Inspector-General of Police X-Squad Unit and the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit to commence high-level monitoring of the police officers within and outside the metropolis to forestall any unprofessional conduct by police officers.

The CP warned officers and men to be professional and uphold international standard best practices in the discharge of their duty.

He appealed to members of the public to ensure proper conduct at all times in their encounters with police officers to avoid infractions that may be subject to prosecution and advised they should use the Command’s emergency control room numbers in the time of distress or whenever they are being harassed by any member of the force.