BEVERLY HILLS, April 15, (THEWILL) – Acting Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba, has ordered the immediate disbandment of the IGP Monitoring Satellite Offices in Lagos and Port Harcourt over complaints of harassment and operating beyond their briefs by Nigerians.
The IGP has also banned operatives of the Unit from undertaking criminal investigations including taking over cases from state commands.
Speaking at his maiden meeting with Command Police Commissioners and Zonal AIGs, in Abuja on Thursday, Baba said the ban had become necessary to enable him reorganise and return the Force to basics.
IGP Baba, who also ordered the reformation of the unit, said under the new arrangement, the Unit will now operate within the original mandate which is to investigate complaints of professional infractions that may be alleged against any serving officer and as may be referred to them by his office.
He said “In furtherance to our Force reorganisation plans as well as our commitment to return to the basics in policing, I have directed the immediate reform of the IGP Monitoring Unit.
“This involves the disbandment of the satellite offices of the Unit in Lagos and Port Harcourt, the streamlining of the personnel profile of the Unit at the Force Headquarters to not more than fifty (50) operatives, and the banning of the Unit from undertaking criminal investigations including taking over cases from State Commands.
“Under the current dispensation, the Unit will only operate within their original mandate which is to investigate complaints of professional infractions that may be alleged against any serving officer and as may be referred to them by my Office. Similar repositioning initiatives are being worked out in relation to other ad hoc investigative Units in the Force.
“This is with a view to restore professionalism, address citizens’ concerns on rights abuses resulting from the existence and operations of these ad hoc police investigation Units and to discourage duplication of police functions in a manner that encourages indiscipline and abuse of police process”, he said.
The development is coming 24 hours after the Police Service Commission asked the IGP to check the proliferation of police investigating units. The commission stated that the units were bringing huge embarrassments to the force.
Chairman of the commission, Musiliu Smith, said, there must be proper and close monitoring of police investigative units to stem the atrocities its officials committed in the line of duty.
The retired IGP had also stressed the need to quickly treat cases of misconduct by the officers “so that those found wanting are brought to book”.
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