…says officers deployed as static guards were used for investigation, arrests
From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has directed the return of police officers attached to the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti- Corruption Commission (KPCACC).
A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Command in Kano, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa however quoted the IGP as directing that only officers who had gone through the staff audit process should be allowed to continue with their duties at the Commission.
Kiyawa explained that the recall of the officers, in the first place, was informed by the need to conduct a staff audit to ascertain the exact number of officers deployed to the Commission, to understand their reporting line and to understand the nature of duties they have been performing since their deployment to the Commission in 2015.
He added that, “The exercise was simply a response to series of reports received through the Command’s Complaint Response Unit (CRU), portraying policemen attached to the Commission as being highhanded and deviating from the expected role of providing static guard and other duties at the Commission”
“For purposes of clarity, members of the public are to note that the object of the ongoing staff audit is basically to address the litany of complaints as reported by sections of the media.
“The action further became imperative, so as to correct the obvious anomalies in the operations of the Commission as Police Officers primarily deployed to static guards and other duties were being used to effect arrest and carry out investigation of cases which clearly is a deviation from their originally assigned mandate” the police explained.
“In totality, the step is towards ensuring a better and effective service delivery by the policemen, devoid of abuse of process in the interest of the people” he further stated.
Assuring the public further, the police explained that similar exercises had conducted in the past in the year 2015 and the men were returned at the conclusion of such exercises.
5. Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police has directed the immediate return of a number of Police Officers, providing guard at the Commission’s office, who have gone through the audit process to continue with their duties.
The spokesman remarked that should the Commission require more policemen for other duties than what has been expressly approved by the IGP, they should apply to the IGP to grant further approval for professional officers with specific training in fields such as investigations and prosecution to be appropriately seconded to it.
“Members of the public are thus enjoined to disregard the current perception being portrayed by a section of the media, that aligned the objective of the exercise to political witch-hunting, as the Police Command will ever remain professional and keep performing its statutory roles of protecting lives and property of all people according to the provisions of the extant laws of the country”.
In the meantime, the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission , Muhuyi Magaji Rimin – Gado has described the withdrawal of the police men attached to his commission as a case of corruption fighting back.
“If you are fighting corruption, you are bound to step on toes and you will not be forgiven. From the look of things , there are people trying to stop the commission from doing its work” he stated during a press conference on Friday.
He, however, vowed that they would not relent but would continue to do their work professionally even as he appreciated the police for returning the officers to the Commission.