POLICE COMMISSION BOSS SAYS "I DID NOT APPROVE LAGOS COMPOL'S DEMOTION

The Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Mike Okiro, has said he did not authorize a letter demoting the Lagos State Acting Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police.

PSC's Permanent Secretary, Musa Istifanus, had written to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, about the demotion of Imohimi to his former rank of DCP.

The letter had generated confusion and consternation within the leadership of the police, as well as stakeholders.

Okiro explained that he had told the IG to ignore the letter written by the commission's Permanent Secretary, Musa Istifanus, about the demotion.

"The letter was not authorised by the commission; Istifanus did not write on my behalf. I read the letter too like everybody and I have told the IG to ignore it. The letter was not authorised at all. I will meet with Istifanus about it and find out how the letter came about," Okiro said.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, also stated that Imohimi remains the Acting Lagos CP.

"The PSC has the power to appoint, promote and discipline officers, but it does not have the power to demote. It can only demote an officer after the Force Disciplinary Committee has looked into what the officer has done and then recommend him for a disciplinary action, PSC can only authenticate what the police take to it.

"In this case, Acting CP Imohimi has not committed any disciplinary offence and the Force Disciplinary Committee has not recommended him for demotion," he said.