No cover up for bribe-taking ACP – Police

Abayomi Sogunle

The Nigeria Police Force on Sunday said there would be no cover-up in the case of the Assistant Commissioner of Police arrested with N2.7 million bribe money.

The Head, Compliant Response Unit (CRU), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abayomi Shogunle, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja.

He said the police had taken all necessary actions provided in the Police Act and Regulations in respect of the case.

He added that “I don’t see anybody covering up this particular case because the necessary actions needed to be taken, the normal disciplinary procedure as provided under the Police Act and Regulations are being followed.”

Shogunle said the officer in question had already been issued a query and a criminal investigation had been conducted by the X-squad.

The officer had since responded to the query and had faced the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC), he said.

Shogunle added that the FDC had made its recommendations to the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), which had been forwarded to the Police Service Commission ( PSC) for ratification.

“The processes needed have been done and all we are just waiting for is the recommendations of the PSC,” he said.

He pointed out that it was when the Commission informed the I-G on the matter that the CRU would in turn inform the public on the matter.

Shogunle said that I-G had directed the unit to ensure that it discharged its responsibilities without impunity in line with its motto.

“One of the things the I-G has tasked the CRU, which is no to impunity, is that the unit should ensure that it upholds that motto,” he added.

It would be recalled that information about the recovery of the N2.7 million bribe money from the officer in question was made known in the third quarter report of the CRU, signed by Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle, Head of CRU in Abuja.

The report said the recovery followed a complaint made to the CRU through a telephone call.

On alleged preferential treatment for senior officers, Shogunle said the unit had taken up all cases against all police officers irrespective of their ranks.

“Probably, we get more complaints against the junior ranks because they interact more with members of the public.

“They are the ones that are always out on the streets. So it is possible you will get more complaints against them than the senior officers.”

Shogunle assured that all complaints irrespective of the ranks of the persons would be treated based on merit, adding that the rule of law would always prevail.

The CRU head said that the inclusion of the X-squad unit of the police was yielding result.

“One of the breakthroughs we have had as contained in the CRU third quarter report was actually done by the x-squad.

“This is the kind of things the public should expect with the inclusion of the squad by the I-G in the fight against corruption,” he said.

He said there was cordial working relationship between the Nigeria Police Force through the CRU and human rights groups in the country.

“As a matter of fact, we have a committee made up of these organisations to review policing operations nationwide.

“We hear from them issues of policing and also give them feedback on their cases that were handled by the CRU,” he said.