By Suleiman Anyalewechi
Less than 24 hours after the Kano state police authorities ordered the withdrawal of police operatives attached to the Kano State Anti- Corruption and Public Complaints Commission, the Inspector-General of Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun has returned them back to their duty posts
But those involved directly and or remotely in the investigations of cases ,did not make it back
This is even as the Chairman of the Kano State Anti graft Agency Bar. Muhyi Magaji ,has described the development as a clear case of Corruption fighting back.
On Thursday April 25 ,2024 ,the kano police command had announced the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel attached to the commission ,citing no reason for the action.
However ,in a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson Abdullahi Kiyawaon late on Friday April 26 2024 ,the police attributed the earlier withdrawal order to the need for a routine staff audit,as well as the to address some issues bordering on an avalanche of complaints of abuse of office and high handedness leveled against some of the policemen attached to the commission.
“Recall that on April 25 2024 , the kano state police Command had recalled police officers posted to the Kano State Public Complaints Commission PCACC with a view to conducting staff audit aimed at ascertaining the exact number of police officers seconded to the commission as well as to understand the reporting line and nature of duties each police officer has been preforming since their initial deployment to the commission in the year 2015 .
“The exercise was simply a response to a series of reports received through the Command’s complaint Response Unit CRU ,portraying policemen attached to the commission as being high handed and deviating from the expected roles of providing static guard and other duties at the Commission.
“For purposes of clarity,members of the public are to note that the objective of the ongoing staff audit is basically. to address the litany of complaints as reported by some sections of the media.
The action further became imperative ,so as to correct the anomalies in the operations of the Commission.,as police officers primarily deployed to static guards and other duties were being used to effect arrest and investigations of cases ,which clearly is a deviation from their assigned mandate of which must be corrected .
In totality ,the step is to ensure a better and effective service delivery by the policemen devoid of abuse of processes in the interest of the people..
It will be recalled that similar exercises were conducted in the past from the inception of the Commission 2015 and the men were returned at the conclusion of such exercises.
Meanwhile ,the Inspector-General of Police has approved the immediate return of police officers providing guards at the Commission’s office who have gone through the audit process to continue with. their duties,” part of statement reads .
But at an interactive session with the media in his office on Friday April 26 , Magaji ,noted that all police operatives serving with the Commission at all times exhibit high professional conduct,and do not compromise their duties particularly in high profile cases .
” If you are fighting corruption ,you will step on some toes and would not be forgiven . So corruption here is fighting back.
“From the look of things ,there are people trying to stop the Commission from its work ” the PCACC Chairman emphasised .
