Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the recall of 1,588 of the 10,000 Police Officers who were unilaterally and without following due process rationalized by the Police before the inauguration of the Police Service Commission in April 2008.

The Commission also approved the dismissal of five Police Officers and compulsorily retired 11 officers with three others reduced in ranks for various disciplinary offences ranging from dishonesty, negligence, insubordination, unnecessary exercise of authority and disobedience to lawful order.

These were the high points of the 6th plenary meeting of the Commission which ended in Abuja recently, presided over by its Chairman, Mr. Parry Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police.
The Commission had in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force reviewed the cases of the rationalized Police Officers and had invited the affected officers to a screening interview at the 12 zonal Command Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force.

4,046 candidates were screened from where the 1,588 officers were approved by the Commission for re-enlistment.

One hundred and forty seven of the affected officers were retired while 34 with pending disciplinary cases were directed to sort out their problems before the Commission will take a decision on their cases in accordance with the Police Regulation.

The Commission also considered 40 pending disciplinary cases from where it approved the dismissal of five officers, comprising one superintendent, one acting Superintendent and three Assistant Superintendents. Out of the 11 officers compulsorily retired, there are one Superintendent, one Deputy Superintendent and nine Assistant Superintendents.

Eleven officers were approved for reprimand and severe reprimand out of the 18 recommended for consideration. It also exonerated a Commissioner of Police recommended for suspension for the offence of undue haste in granting a suspect bail.

The Commission approved the recruitment of batch A intakes of Cadet Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Police who were interviewed in 2007. The new intakes are expected to commence training by the end of this month.

It also cancelled the three months compulsory leave before retirement in the Nigeria Police Force, and suspended the consideration of the recommendation for promotions in the Nigeria Police Force until the production of approved establishment vacancies.

This Day From Yemi Akinsuyi in Abuja, 07.14.2009