Inspector Sunday Adetoye with force no AP. No. 279495 and Inspector Ogunleye Stephen with force no AP. No. 223521, both attached to the Zonal Command Headquarters Onikan, Lagos, have been dismissed from the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) for the offences of armed robbery, official corruption, and illegal duty and are to be charged to court.
It was gathered that the armed errant officers, led by one ASP Ajayi Victor (at large), in the company of three others, had on November 23, stormed the houses of two civilians in Ogun State and made away with their phones and other valuables.
The Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command comprising Lagos and Ogun States, AIG Ari Muhammed Ali, while ordering the police officers dismissal, further revealed that two out of the three other apprehended members of the armed robbery gang are members of a vigilante group.
He gave the vigilante group members names as Semiu Afisu and Abidoye Femi while the third member named Charles John plays the role of a driver for the gang.
A Thursday statement by SP UmmaTunni Ayuba, the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), reveals that as of the time the officers committed this crime in November, they were facing trial for a similar offence.
Part of the statement reads:
“The erring officers, who were at the time facing trial for a similar offence, on November 23, 2023, at about 2200hrs, went in the company of three others; two members of Vigilante Group, one Semiu Afisu (M), one Abidoye Femi (M) and the gang driver, one Charles John (M), to the residence of one Taiwo Monsuru (M) and one Akintola Sunday (M) at Obada-Oko in Ogun State.
“Armed with 2 SMG rifles and live ammunition, conducted a search without a warrant where they made away with 5 iPhones, 1 Samsung smartphone, 1 Tecno smartphone, and 2 laptop computers.
‘’Police officers attached to Ifo Division mounted a roadblock after other residents of the apartment informed them of the incident with the description of the vehicle, which led to the apprehension of the occupants of the vehicle without ASP Ajayi Victor (M) who led the illegal operation and is currently at large.”
SP Ayuba further revealed that the AIG has also directed that the dismissed officers be charged to court alongside the civilians involved.
The AIG urged all officers and men of the force to remain professional in the discharge of their duties in accordance with the law.
He warned that anyone found wanting would be accountable for his/her action or inaction.