Police redeploy DPO for detaining man who filmed officers’ harassment

The Nigerian Police Force have redeployed Francis Ani, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Onipanu Division of the Lagos State Police Command, for illegally detaining a man who filmed officers’ harassment. 

The state police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement shared on Twitter on Thursday, said Mr Ani and some of his officers harassed and illegally detained a resident of the state, Tunde Abass, at Onipanu, on March 19, 2021. 

He was arrested for recording the harassment and forceful arrest of another citizen namely Kabir Mohammed. 

The police actions later triggered furore on social media where activists demanded the release of Mr Abass after spending days in detention.  

The victim’s lawyer, Ayo Ademiluyi, told this newspaper that Mr Abass was “detained with a mentally deformed detainee who made his midnight sleep a miserable one by kicking him in the sides.”

The victim was, however, released on Wednesday. 

Reacting to the development, the commissioner of police in Lagos, Hakeem Odumosu, said the actions of Mr Ani and his officers were unprofessional, hence, ordered the DPO’s redeployment. 

He also ordered that officers involved in the illegality should be punished.

“…after he (police commissioner) perused the report of the investigation into the incident that had gone viral on the gross violation of Tunde’s human rights by the Dpo and his boys. 

“The Commissioner of Police has therefore condemned such act of unprofessionalism and excessive use of power to send a signal to the whole world that the command will not, for whatever reason, condone such act; and to serve as deterrent to other policemen who are fond of harassing, extorting and engaging in acts of lawlessness, unprofessionalism and gross violation of peoples human rights in the state. 

“CP Hakeem Odumosu has also ordered that the concerned policemen in the unprofessional act be tried orderly room in order to award punishments accordingly, while the DPO be redeployed to the State Command Headquarters, Ikeja,” Mr Adejobi’s statement read.