The Delta State Police Command says any of its personnel involved in extortion or other professional misconduct will be sanctioned in accordance with the law.
The command’s Spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in reaction to a planned protest against the police in Delta over alleged professional misconduct.
Edafe said that the command under CP Mohammed Ali, had been punishing officers that acted wrongly, stressing that two of such officers were dismissed recently over human rights abuses.
According to the police spokesman, the command has a good relationship with Deltans, stressing that anyone with complaints about any policeman should report such for immediate investigation.
Edafe described a group planning to carryout protest against the police as people seeking for cheap popularity.
“There is no plan for protest in Delta against the police. We have also seen different groups countering the planned protest. That shows that we are doing well.
“We are having a good relationship with Deltans, and as such, they cannot revolt against us.
“Anyone with complaints should report such at the command. The CP is ever ready to deal with any professional misconduct,” he said.
Meanwhile, two NGOs – People United for Societal Harmony (PUSH) and Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) – have distance themselves from the planned protest against the police in Delta.
The groups stated this in separate statements issued by Israel Joe and Austin Akaraiwe, Secretaries of CDHR and PUSH in Delta, respectively.
They condemned the planned protest against the police in Delta, but urged the command to tackle the incessant extortions, victimisation, brutality and unnecessary raiding.
The groups said they had refused to be drawn into the planned protest because it was capable of resonating the ugly legacies of the #EndSARS protest in the state.
They advised the Commissioner of Police in Delta, CP Muhammed Ali, to call some of his officers and men serving in Warri and Sapele and Agbor to order, saying that their extortionist and unprofessional tendencies were becoming unbearable.
“We have seen in the state today that the Delta police authorities have shown exceptional zero tolerance for corruption and human rights abuse.
“Any protest against the police in the state at this time would not only be counter-productive but spew unwarranted tension that may cog the socio-economic master plan of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa.
“The present onslaught by the police against all manners of crimes and criminality, including cultism and kidnapping in the state had never been witnessed before,” they said.
The groups also noted that two police officers were recently shown the way out of the force for assault ocassioning harm against a defenceless tricycle operator in Warri.
They pointed out that the present police leadership in the state was averse to corruption and unprofessionalism, questioning the basis for the planned protest.
“When you have a police commissioner that is available to you on a 24-hour basis, that is why, we as groups are rising up against such planned protest and calling on whoever is the architect to drop the idea and embrace peace. (NAN)
