ENDSARS PROTEST: PSC CONDEMNS KILLINGS AND BURNING OF POLICE FACILITIES
………Calls for restraint, promises to deal with erring Policies Officers
Oru Leonard
The Police Service Commission has condemned killings, burning of police facilitaties and called for restraint as miscreants hijack the “END SARS” protests to unleash terror and havoc across the country.
Mr Ikechukwu Ani, Head Press and Public Relations of the Commission stated this in a press release that PSC has followed recent developments and is shocked at the level of destructions visited on innocent Nigerians, public facilities and businesses in the country by miscreants and has reiterated its commitment to holding Police Officers, whether of the defunct Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) or conventional, accountable for their actions and inactions and will continue to ensure instant due punishments for misconducts.
“The Commission only recently dismissed ten senior Police Officers including an Assistant Commissioner of Police and reduced the rank of nine others following established cases of misconduct.
“The Commission will process and punish all Policemen found culpable by the Presidential Panel on Reform of the defunct SARS. The Panel had concluded its assignment in 2018 but submitted its Report to the Commission on Friday, 16th October 2020. The Commission is still awaiting the white paper on the Report from the National Human Rights Commission so as to quicken its disciplinary mechanism and ensure that those to be dismissed are immediately flushed out from the system”, PSC stated.
PSC however said the unprovoked killing of Police men and women across the country and the burning of Police stations was barbaric and unfortunate, noting that Police Officers are also Nigerians that have sacrificed their lives and comfort for the safety of the citizens and their properties and deserves nothing but commendation, support and encouragement.
The Commission warned that any attempt to force the country into a state of lawlessness will be an ill wind that will blow nobody any good.
“We will ensure that the Police that will emerge in the nearest future will meet the expectations of Nigerians. Nigerians are therefore urged to extend to them the required cooperation and support while Government attends to the basic inadequacies facing the Institution”, PSC stressed.
Meanwhile the Commission has directed the Inspector General of Police to handover the on-going 2020 recruitment exercise of Police Constables into the Nigeria Police Force and Cadets into the Nigeria Police Academy in compliance with the Order of the Court of Appeal.
The Commission’s directive was contained in a letter to the IGP signed by the Chairman of the Commission, Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector General of Police and dated October 20th, 2020.
