Task Force suspends paramilitary officer for corruption

LAGOS State Task Force on Tuesday said it has suspended a paramilitary officer of the Agency, by name Mr Ikuburuju Alex popularly called ‘Iku,’ for extorting money from an arrested traffic offender in Ikorodu, following complaints against the officer on the social media and subsequent investigation of the accused staff.

Chairman of the Agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, made this known in a statement, copy of which was available to newsmen, saying that investigations revealed that the officer, Alex truly negotiated and extorted the sum of N30,000 from the owner of an impounded vehicle who committed a traffic offence by plying the ‘BRT’ lane around Agric Bus-Stop in Ikorodu.

This was just as he confirmed that a senior police officer, who led the team that impounded the vehicle in Ikorodu had been redeployed to another unit of the Agency due to inadequate supervision of his subordinates.

“On that fateful day, I was having a lecture with all my Police Officers at Bolade before the indicted paramilitary officer went and carried out the shady deal, knowing fully well that there will not be any Police Officer on the ground at Ikorodu,” Egbeyemi stated.

ALSO READ: Still on Onnoghen, Saraki, Okupe

The Task Force boss described the action of the officer was disgraceful, saying he did not justify the training, motivation as well as huge investment by the government to engender excellent performance of staff during the Agency’s operations.

“The government recently trained all paramilitary officers attached to the Agency on ‘Career Evaluation’ where they were taught how to be professionals and civil in dealing with members of the public,” Egbeyemi recalled.

He reiterated that the Agency would not tolerate indolence and indiscipline in any form, warning that any officer whose behaviour could tarnish the image of the Agency would be shown the way out.

“Members of the public should not hesitate to report to the Agency any officer found misbehaving in the course of discharging his/her official duties for appropriate sanction and discipline,” Egbeyemi said.