NIGERIA: Two officers recount how they were dismissed for refusing N8m bribe.

Video Credit: Punch Newspaper

In March 2020, Babatunde Glorious and Shola Akawo were tried at the orderly room in ‘A’ Division at Kwara State Police Command for allegedly extorting a crime suspect. They were subsequently dismissed from the police even though the allegations against them were not established with evidence. 

However, they  have narrated how they were falsely accused of fraud and dismissed for refusing an N8 million bribe to compromise a case.

One of the officers, Glorious said that he was unjustly dismissed from the force for refusing to compromise an armed robbery case after he was offered the money from a “top senior police officer”.

Narrating the incident to Punch, he pointed out that in December 2018, one Dr Abdulrazak Omawumi came to their office to lodge a complaint about the theft of his car and other valuables on which they began investigation.

He said, “2019, August, we saw the signal, we saw the location of the vehicle and the location of the vehicle was reading Keffi, Nassarawa State.

“We called the doctor to inform him of the location of his stolen vehicle. He came, we told him the location of the vehicle and he agreed to follow us to Nassarawa State.”

Akawo, the other officer said that when they got to the Nassarawa with the complainant, they recovered the doctor’s car and four other cars stolen by the same suspects.

The suspects were arrested and taken to the Kwara State Police Command. It was there the dismissed officers were approached by a serving police officer under communication Ajibola Tawa.

She allegedly said the arrested suspects were her brothers and the former officers should try and help her.

Akawo said that “On getting to the cell to feed the suspects, I met Tawa Ajibola, woman sergeant serving in communication along with Supa Ali Abdulkaduri ASP, serving in state CID who is now the OC in Ajadi’s farm in Ilorin, the gang leader discussing with the suspect, John Okpabile in the cell.”

He said he reported the insincere officers to Okasanmi Ajayi, SP who is the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO of the Kwara State Command.

The PPRO reported the matter to the Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun who immediately ordered the arrest and detention of the erring officers.

The PPRO further ordered Akawo and another police sergeant to accompany Abdulkaduri to arrest the gang leader of the robbers, one Ajadi in Ilorin.

This arrest was not successful because Abdulkaduri joined the suspect in his car and drove to unknown location. 

The next day, however, the two dismissed officers were invited by Abdulkaduri, Tawa and another officer simply identified as Kola to a meeting where they were allegedly offered 8 million naira.

The ex-officers reported the matter and the bribe offer to the PPRO.

It was at this point that one Aleyole Adeboyega, the assistant commissioner of police personally requested the transfer of the case to him.

Adeboyega also allegedly invited Glorious and Akawo and asked them what they wanted for the case.

Akawo said, “We told him, sir, you are our boss, you are our oga, this is a case of car theft which those guys usually used military uniforms to rob and snatch cars from innocent Nigerians.”

Adeboyega allegedly replied that since the doctor’s car has been recovered, the car should be restored to him.

He also added that the other recovered cars should be given back to the robbery suspects and that the suspects be released. Glorious and Akawo declined.

Two days later, AC Adeboyega requested the total transfer of everything pertaining to the case to his office, this included the suspects, recovered cars, all exhibits etc.

Then CP Kayode Egbetokun however instructed this order to be disregarded after the matter was reported to him through the PPRO, Okasanmi Ajayi, Akawo said.

A week later, the dismissed officers were invited, Glorious was arrested and alleged to have converted the phone of a suspect to his personal use.

A visibly infuriated Glorious asked, “How? Did I remove the suspect’s SIM from the phone? Did I use it to make call? Or did they even recover the phone from my hand? Why? Why lie because you want to achieve your criminal act?”

The next day, Akawo was invited from Lagos to Ilorin. When he got to the office, he was detained while Glorious was released.

Glorious was however returned to the cell with Akawo where they were allegedly handcuffed, tortured for 15 days in the presence of their former suspects.

Akawo said “For 15 good days, our families were not allowed to see us. I don’t know that doing the right thing is an offence in the Nigeria Police Force.”

At this point, Sergeant Tawa allegedly threatened the dismissed officers that if they did not want to be mourned by their family and friends, they should “desist from the armed robbery case” otherwise they will be dismissed by the ACP Adeboyega who was in charge of administration.

The dismissed officers were allegedly shown a text message from ACP Oleyele that instructed that they be dismissed at all costs and that their witness in the robbery case be prevented from testifying.

They were subsequently issued their letter of dismissal.

After their dismissal, ACP Adeboyega allegedly invited Akawo and Glorious to his office where he bragged that he was in charge of the command and that no matter where they go, nothing can be done to him.

The PPRO invited the dismissed officer that the CP wanted an audience with them which they rejected as according to Akawo, they did not trust the police system anymore.

Akawo urge the Inspector General of Police IGP, Usman Alkali Baba to assign another investigator to the two cases .