Officers and men of the Nigeria Police have over the years come under public scrutiny for engaging in unprofessional acts, unbecoming of law enforcement officers.
These acts range from extortion to bribe collection, harassment and unlawful arrest and torture of citizens, and even robbery, amongst others.
In July, the police dismissed an Inspector, Richard Gele, after he was caught in a viral video justifying extortion.
Gele is just one of the few officers who have been dismissed for such acts of misconduct.
Recently, the Police Service Commission (PSC) had announced the dismissal of seven senior police officers over gross misconduct and demotion of ten others.
The dismissed Officers were, one Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), a Superintendent of Police (SP) and five Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP), while a Superintendent of Police (SP) was also retired in public interest.
Similarly, the commission demoted one Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) to Superintendent of Police (SP), three Superintendents of Police (SP) to Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP), and two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) to Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP). The Commission further reduced the ranks of four Assistant Superintendents of Police to Inspectors.
Also 10 senior officers, including an Assistant Commissioner, a Chief Superintendent, a Superintendent and two Deputy Superintendents and five Assistant Superintendents were given the punishment of severe reprimand.
But it is not all bad eggs in the police, as there are a few good cops who have distinguished themselves in character and conduct, which has earned some of them recognition and awards.
On June 21, a policeman attached to the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Nura Mande, found and returned $800 (N480,000) misplaced by an intending pilgrim.
A similar act of honesty was recognised by the Inspector-general of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, on August 16, 2022, when he rewarded the Nasarawa Divisional Police Officer in Kano State, Superintendent of Police (SP) Daniel Itse Amah, for rejecting a $200,000 bribe in a case of alleged armed robbery.
Another cop who has distinguished himself is Sergeant Sampson Ekikere, attached to 22 Police Mobile Force, Ikeja, Lagos, who on March 19, 2022, it was reported, recovered a wallet belonging to one Lukman Abaja, and painstakingly traced the owner to deliver the found item.
Two others, Sergeant Yahaya Ahmed attached to Higher Shari’ah Court, Tudun Wada Division, Gusau, Zamfara State and CSP Elemide Akinkunmi Bishop who was Head of Operations at the Police Radio in Abuja, also received commendation from the IGP for acts of honesty and trustworthiness.
While Ahmed was reported to have rejected the sum of N300,000 bribe, offered to him by one Chukwuka Jude, who was arrested at for the offence of false presentation and cheating by impersonation on January 18, 2022, Bishop was mistakenly credited with the sum of N600,000 into his police account, withdrew and remitted same to the Nigeria Police Cooperative Society treasury.
On July 4, 2022, DPO, Alobe John also distinguished himself when he returned the sum of N5,927,120 to the family of one John Okeke of 74B, Rukuba road, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State after a robbery incident.
It was also reported in May 2021 that a police Sergeant, Kabiru Isah, was rewarded with a sum of N100,000 for his honesty after returning N1.2 million found on a deceased accident victim to his relatives in Kano State.
The Lagos State Police Command anti-crime patrol team in September 2021 arrested four suspected armed robbers and cultists. The officers who carried out the arrest rejected a N500,000 bribe offered them while it was reported in March 2021 that a police officer, Inspector Garba Saleh Rabo, attached to the Operations Department of Kano State Police Command arrested a dealer of expired goods who offered him bribe of N1 million to set him and his counterfeit goods free.
Francis Erhabor, the divisional police officer of Itam, Akwa Ibom State police command, also reportedly rejected a total of N864 million bribe in three years.
