The Divisional Police Officer at Ogijo in Ogun State, SP Awode Olatunde has been accused of converting exhibits recovered by personnel from crime scenes to his personal use.

Sources disclosed that the DPO is fond of converting properties recovered from suspects by his police team to personal use and selling some without official authority.

Such properties allegedly converted to personal property include two motorbikes and two standing fans.

It was learned that the motorbikes were recovered from thieves and the owners had not come for them. But instead of waiting, the DPO reportedly decided to turn them into his properties.

“One of the motorbikes was recovered from the Kamalo Area of Ogijo.

“The machines’ (motorbikes) are two. The other motorcycle was recovered by surveillance team B this year from a thief and the owner is yet to be known,” one of the sources revealed.

The source continued: “They are one lady motorcycle with no registration number which happens to be an exhibit motorcycle that was recovered by the surveillance team and one Bajaj motorcycle. The DPO has taken them away. In his usual way, he has turned the bikes to his private properties.

“He also converted two standing fans that were recovered from one uncompleted building to his own. One of the fans was taken home and the other one is still in his office presently.”

Another source said, “He also took a big water dispenser that was given to the station by the Metal Recycling Company at Ogijo to an unknown destination. Meanwhile, the water dispenser was donated to Ogijo police station by a former DPO, CSP Baba Mohammed, who is now ACP in rank.”

“He also converted the mattress that was recovered from a moving truck to his own, and the owner is yet to come for it,” the officer added.

The conversion of these exhibits was done with the help of the exhibit keeper at the station.

It was also gathered that the DPO had told all officers attached to his station to contribute N20,000 each for his forthcoming retirement party.

One of the officers said, “The DPO is now forcing us, the serving members of the station to pay N20,000 each for his retirement celebration, The DCO of Ogijo and the DTO are the ones collecting the money from us.”

When contacted by a media source, DPO Olatunde for his reaction, he denied the allegations. “There is nothing like that in my station as far as I am concerned,” he said.

Shortly after receiving the call from a media correspondent, the DPO returned the motorbikes to the station but did not return the water dispenser and other properties.

It was learnt that the motorbikes were returned on Wednesday morning.

He also did not back down on his order directing junior officers to pay N20,000 each for his retirement party.

“He has brought the Bajaj motorcycles back. But he is still insisting on the issue of paying N20,000,” one of the police sources said.

“Even for the returned motorbikes, the DPO has insisted on taking them after his retirement. He said he returned them today (Wednesday) because of the call he received…”

The DPO would retire on July 1, 2024.

Recently it was reported that some police personnel lamented that they were being extorted as a condition to be granted promotion interviews.

One of the victims, who spoke on Monday, accused those in charge of a section he identified as the Inspectorate Promotion Board of requiring all Inspectors who requested to be promoted to Officer Cadre to pay N30,000 as a prerequisite for the interview.

He said the interview exercise would commence on June 6, 2024.