Defaulting police officers to face disciplinary action – NPF

…As Rivers CP inspects checkpoints, dismantles roadblocks

Police officers found at checkpoints with roadblocks and those not properly attired in line with police protocols are to face disciplinary action, according to Olugbenga Adepoju, Rivers State Commissioner of Police.

On Monday Adepoju led officers and men of the Rivers State Police Command on inspection of checkpoints along some major highways in the state in compliance with the directive of Olatunji Disu, Inspector General of Police.

They visited checkpoints along Omagwa-Elele Road and up to the boundary with Imo State before turning through Elele to the East-West road to enforce the dismantling of barricades, while warning against extorting drivers.

Adepoju directed his men who took the names and particulars of officers that were found wanting and ordered them to report to the state headquarters in Port Harcourt to face disciplinary action.

Until the IGP’s directive, drivers had been at the mercy of officers manning checkpoints along major highways in the state particularly the East-West road, Omagwa-Elele road to the boundary with Imo State.

At Ogbakiri, near Choba, the CP ordered the checkpoint closed and collected the firearms from the three officers, but later returned them and also ordered the officers to dress properly.

At an IGP checkpoint, in Emuoha Local Government Area, Adepoju ordered the officers to remove the obstacles from the road, asking the officers if they were not aware of the IGP’s directive.

Earlier on the Elele-Owerri road, he ordered the closure of a checkpoint because the officers put obstacles like tree trunks on the road and ordered them to report to the police headquarters in Port Harcourt.

Speaking to journalists during the operation, Adepoju said: “We are here in compliance with the directives of the inspector general of police IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu PSC Dager NPN, who has directed that we go round to all men on duty on the road to see that they are well dressed with their name tags on their chest and ensure they are not extorting the members of the public.

“And we’ve been going round from time to time to check on them and ensure they are doing the right thing. Visiting round is one of the core duties of a police officer to ensure his men are doing what they’re supposed to do.

“And that’s why we are here going round with all my management team, the squadron commander to see their men themselves on the road and how they are dressed and how they are behaving with the members of the public.”

On those found defaulting he said: “Well, those that are not well dressed and are not well positioned are equally blocking the road because we directed that no one should block the road.

“They should position themselves well, strategically so that when they flash down a vehicle by the time they see their deployment on the road they will definitely stop.

“Those that are not well dressed or their name tags are not fixed on their uniform, we have taken their particulars to be sent to their commanders to bring them for disciplinary action at the headquarters.”