Illegal operation: 104 policemen redeployed from Lagos Taskforce

Mr Fatai Owoseni, Lagos State Commissioner of Police.

At least, 104 policemen attacked to the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit have been redeployed from the taskforce following insistence by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode that they should be removed as a result of illegal operation embarked upon by the police officer where they extorted money from women.

On Tuesday, Ambode had asked the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni to redeploy the affected officers from the taskforce for allegedly embarking on an operation without the knowledge of the taskforce chairman, Yinka Egbeyemi.

The affected officers included one Superintendent of Police, a Deputy Superintendent of Police while others were from Police Inspector downwards.

Sources in the taskforce told PM News that 104 officers had been redeployed from the taskforce as directed by Ambode and that those affected had spent five years and above at the taskforce.

But sources at the Taskforce said there was no way the officers could have gone on an operation without the knowledge of Egbeyemi who it was learnt tactically excluded himself from the matter to spare the governor’s axe from descending on him.

A source at the taskforce said SP Taiwo Adeoluwa, who was fingered as the man who ordered the illegal operation was never a part of the story and that he was roped in to save the head of Egbeyemi.

The source said Adeoluwa was informed about the operation but that he was not the one who authorized it as it was normally the routine operation of the taskforce to go out on Tuesday and Fridays to raid which is on the knowledge of Egbeyemi.

The source added that the claim that Adeoluwa gave the authorisation was not the true story and that he asked the head of the Surveillance Unit, Bukky Akande if she had gotten the Chairman’s approval and she said it was the norm for them to go on operation on Tuesdays and Fridays.

According to the source, the governor was not properly briefed about the true position of things in terms of what transpired about the authorization, as it was not possible in the Police formation to give authorisation for such operations without the knowledge and understanding of the chairman.

It was gathered that the unit that carried out the operation was inaugurated by Egbeyemi some months ago while his second in command was on leave.

According a source, in any government establishment, everything stops at the table of the overall boss, likewise in Nigerian Police Force as the second in command has no authority whatsoever to grant such approval.

“When they wanted to go out she claimed to have informed the second in command with the intention not to by-pass him to get to the Chairman. The chairman gave his approval before setting up any Unit within the Agency. Since he is the boss he can only inform his second in command of such Unit which he did immediately his second in command resumed. Since he came from leave, this same second in command has been relating with the Surveillance Unit to carry out both enforcement and operations now.”

PM News investigation revealed that the taskforce operatives raided some parts of the metropolis and arrested several women last Friday, brought them to the taskforce office and detained them illegally.

On the following day, when their husbands came for them, they were made to pay N10, 000 for each of those arrested. The illegal act was licked to Ambode who ordered redeployment of the affected taskforce members.