By Ayodele Oni
Ondo State Police Command has advised members of the public with concrete evidence against any officer of the command to come forward with it rather than taking the law into their own hands.
Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, Olushola Ayanlade, while reacting to protest by the people of Igbara-Oke against the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), Ganiyu Daudu, assured that the police command is committed to purging itself of bad eggs and would investigate any allegations of misconduct.
Residents of Igbara Oke, the headquarters of Ifedore Local Government Area took to the streets on Friday to protest alleged gross misconduct and extortion by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ganiyu Daudu.
The protesters barricaded the main road, causing a serious gridlock, and carried leaf branches while chanting “DPO Olè,” meaning “DPO is a thief
According to the protesters, led by youth leader Owoeye Mayowa, DPO Daudu has been extorting residents of Igbara Oke on multiple occasions.
Mayowa alleged that the DPO collects exorbitant amounts of money from individuals who bring cases to the police station, even if they are civil cases. The protesters claimed that Daudu has been collecting between N200,000 and N800,000 from people whose cases were brought to the police station.
One specific case cited by the protesters involved suspected armed robbers who were detained at the police station, but allegedly escaped. The protesters also alleged that the DPO has been involved in corrupt practices such as illegal arrests and complicating issues brought before him with the intention of extorting huge sums of money from parties.
Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) also alleged that the DPO has been victimizing them, instructing his men to collect money from them.
They cited an incident where a driver and a woman had a misunderstanding, and the woman claimed she was assaulted. However, witnesses, including soldiers, testified that she was not assaulted. The DPO allegedly rearrested the driver and demanded a payment of N780,000, which was later reduced to N50,000 bail.
The protesters urged Police Commissioner Wilfred Afolabi to redeploy the DPO in the interest of peace in the community. They claimed that the community has not been at rest since Daudu’s arrival and that they can no longer tolerate his alleged extortion.
In response to the protest, the Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, Olushola Ayanlade, confirmed that there was a misunderstanding between the drivers’ union and the police, but it was amicably resolved through the intervention of the local government chairman.
The police command also urged anyone with evidence to come forward, promising to make the outcome of the investigation public.
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