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Checkpoint robbery saga: Why four dismissed police officers can’t be recalled now
Rotimi Williams
THE fate of four dismissed police officers, who were later acquitted by the Sagamu Chief Magistrate’s Court, Ogun State seems to be hanging in the balance, as the police high command may have foreclosed their recall.
The officers: ex-Sergeant John Ejechi, Corporal Abubakar Abdullai and ex-Constables Adeyemo Adebisi and Peter Olorioke, all stood trial before the Magistrate’s Court Grade I presided over by Mr. A. O. Araba, for alleged conspiracy and robbery.
They were acquitted by the court, based on the legal advice from the State Department for Public Prosecution for lack of adequate evidence to prosecute the accused persons.
The accused persons’ charge sheet number MSH/81c/2004 had read:
“That you, John Ejechi ‘m’, Abubakar Abdullai ‘m’, Adeyemo Adebisi ‘m’ and Peter Olorioke ‘m’, on or before the 13th day of March, 2004 at the former Toll Gate, Sagamu, in the Sagamu Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; armed robbery and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 5 (b) of the Robbery and firearms (Special Provision Act) Cap. 398 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
“That you, John Ejechi ‘m’, Abubakar Abdullai ‘m’, Adeyemo Adebisi ‘m’, and Peter Olorioke ‘m’, on the 13th day of March, 2004 at about 9 p.m. at the aforementioned place and Magisterial District did rob one Yisa Adesina Amusa ‘m’ of the sum of N1.5 million (one million and five hundred thousand naira) and at the time of robbery were armed with offensive weapons to wit – guns and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1 (2) of the robbery and fire arms (Special Provision) Act Cap. 398 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 1990.”
However, Sunday Punch learnt that the DPP’s advice, which stated that the accused persons be set free for lack of evidence, may not be enough to guarantee the return of the dismissed officers into the force.
Already, the Ogun State Police Command had communicated its decision not to recall the affected officers to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun.
The decision, it was learnt, may not be unconnected with other departmental offences allegedly committed by the affected officers for which they were dismissed.
It was learnt that before the arraignment of the accused persons in court, the ex-police officers had faced and defended themselves before the police departmental trial for sundry offences ranging from unlawful use of police firearms and discreditable conduct unbecoming of police officers..
The officers were said to have been found guilty on all the charges by the Police Provost Department, which conducted the trial and recommended their dismissal from the force.
The recommendation was upheld by the police high command.
Sources said the authorities had established that the officers unjustifiably fired gunshots from police weapons, thereby contravening Force Order 237, which stipulated when and how a police man is expected to make use of his rifle.
It was gathered that the command conducted an in-house investigation and discovered that the number of ammunition signed out by one of the police officers had been tampered with when they were returned into the armoury.
It was also revealed that the authorities detected the weapon used to fire the gunshots:
Sunday Punch learnt that the legal advice could only exonerate the dismissed officers from the criminal charges preferred against them before the court, and not the departmental trial for which they were found guilty.
The DPP’s advice had stated: “From the consideration of the facts of the case and the applicable law, there is no cogent and reliable evidence in the case file to link the suspects with the alleged offences.”
The ex-police officers, who were serving in Sagamu Division, were arrested and initially detained at the division, which carried out preliminary investigation into the alleged robbery incident.
The officers were eventually transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Abeokuta, which conducted a comprehensive investigation on the matter before their arraignment in court for alleged conspiracy and armed robbery.
It was learnt were still in detention at SCID when their departmental trial commenced and which culminated in their dismissal from service.
The Sunday Punch, had, in its March 21, 2004, edition exclusively reported the arrest and detention of the officers for alleged armed robbery.
The state police commissioner, Mr. Olusegun Efuntayo, would, however, not comment on the legal advice as it affected the dismissed officers.
“The departmental trial of the affected officers, which led to their dismissal was purely a police administrative matter. It is not meant for the press or public consumption,” he told Sunday Punch.
SUNDAY PUNCH, December 26, 2004
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