Akure, Ondo State (Nigeria): In a decisive move to uphold integrity within the ranks, the Ondo State Police Command has sanctioned eight officers over allegations of professional misconduct.
The disciplinary actions, carried out over the past two months, stemmed from public complaints ranging from corruption and extortion to illegal roadblocks.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adebowale Lawal, disclosed this in Akure on Friday.
Lawal said that the command under his leadership was adhering strictly to the professional ethics and norms of the Nigeria Police.
The Commissioner of Police explained that the sanction followed complaints received from members of the public during the period.
He noted that the command had provided members of the public with avenues to make complaints and express their grievances regarding any erring officers and men of the command.
“We have the monitoring units. We have the provost. We have the complaint response unit (CRU).
“So, once we get complaints about any officer, that person faces it. Some have been detained, while others have been queried. It depends on your rank; you may face a room trial.
“As a matter of fact, we talk about it daily: corruption, extortion and illegal roadblocks. We warn our men to desist from such. If you are caught, you will face the music.
“So far, so good, about eight officers of the command have been sanctioned in the last two months,” he said.
Lawal, who commended the public for the command’s success in the past two months, asked the public to feel free to make their complaints known to the divisional police officer, the police area commander, or to call him directly.
He urged members of the public to continue to feed the command with appropriate information for the safety and protection of lives and property.
According to him, he has made himself accessible to the public, closely monitoring all officers and men in the command to ensure the efficiency and proficiency of policing.
He appreciated the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, for the prompt salary payment to the police, noting that some personnel had been promoted due to their excellent performance, while others were rewarded.
Lawal added that he personally appreciated personnel who excelled in the previous week during the review of weekly activities.
“Just call my number and I will pick. I have asked the DPOs and Area Commanders to make their cell phone numbers known and accessible as well.
“I go out to check area commands and units because I am not an armchair commander.
“We have to lead by example, and that is the mission of the IGP. So, we have to key into it: transparency, accountability, and cooperation with other agencies, which, of course, we are enjoying. There’s no rivalry, no competition,” he stated.
He said that comprehensive and regular stakeholders’ meetings with members of the public had been a great help to the success of the command since his assumption of duty on June 30, 2025.
The CP stated that the IGP had made it a priority to train and retrain personnel in diligent investigation and crime fighting so that there would be vigorous prosecution of suspects in courts.
Lawal added that the command had prepared an operation order for the ember months to ensure the last quarter of the year was crime-free in Ondo State.
