The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tatfa Balogun has placed a ban on the use of fire arms by policemen in mufty.
The ban came as the Lagos State Police command arrested 39 police officers and a civilian who were allegedly caught extorting money from motorists in different locations in the state.
The ban was necessitated following reports of activities of men of the under-world who attack unsuspecting road users on the high ways, posing as policemen on a stop and check exercise.
Disclosing this at the officers mess in Ikeja at the weekend, the command’s boss, Mr Israel Ajao said the ban was also to check the indiscriminate use of fire arms by policemen and to enable members of the public get the correct data of a policeman should the need arise.
According to him, “the Inspector-General of Police has placed a ban on the use of fire arm by policemen in murfty. This is a security measure put in place to nib in the bud activities of armed bandits who pose as policemen on the highway to carry out their nefarious activities. In fact, the ban takes effect from this afternoon. It is also to differentiate between a policeman and armed robbers”
Meanwhile, the command yesterday paraded thirty-nine of its officers and one civilian for alleged extortion.
The arrest which according to Ajao, was effected by the command’s monitoring unit, was made at various check points in the state among which were Cele, along Oshodi\Apapa expressway and Ikorodu.
Ajao pointed out that the command was not going to limit the arrest to police officers alone but “on anyone engaged in extorting money on the highway whether the person is working with the federal or state government”, stressing that the command was determined to flush out both armed robbery suspects, corrupt policemen and other corrupt public officers in Lagos.
A breakdown of the arrested officers consist of an Inspector, fifteen Police Mobile Force personnel of the ranks of Constables, Corporal and Sergeant; one woman police constable, Four Traffic wardens comprising of three males and one female, two spy policemen of the ranks of Constable and Sergeant attached to Apapa and Ajeromi Local Government Councils respectively; three Federal Road Safety Commission officials and a male civilian said to have assisted traffic wardens to hide their alleged extorted loot.
The CP who said the arrest was just a tip of the ice berg, warned other officers still engaged in the illegal act to desist from it as the command would not take it lying low if any one is caught. He added that strategic method that would facilitate the arrest of any erring officer which he however refused to disclose had been put in place.
