Lawyers petition IGP, accuses Sapele Police Area Commander of allege abuse of power, dereliction of duties

Two Sapele-based lawyers, Owin Orhomonokpaye and Cephas Chukwudi has petitioned the acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba accusing the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, Sapele Area Command, Mr Sani A. Nafawa of allege abuse of power, encouraging criminal activities and dereliction of duties.

The lawyers  who also doubles as human rights activist, claimed that the Area Commander no longer go after criminals which is the primary responsibility of a security agent but has allegedly shifted his attention unholy ways to enrich himself.

The duo said, Mr Nafawa, has remained unperturbed despite the upsurge in kidnapping and other criminal activities ravaging the timber town, they then appealed to the acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to transfer him with immediate effect.

The petition  which was made available to Advocate.ng, captioned “Indiscriminate Abuse of Power, Encouragement Of Crime And Neglect Of Duty Within Sapele Metropolis By The Area Commander in Charge Of Sapele Area Command,” also claimed that the Area Commander keeps living lavishly in a hotel and is only interested in settling matters involving internet fraudsters A.K.A. Yahoo Boys.

The Petition which was dated 17th May, 2021 was addressed to the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police Force, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.

Part of the petition signed by the duo, read “Recently sir, the rate of kidnapping has peaked as kidnapping has become the order of the day. Kidnapping is now the new norm as different individuals are targeted by miscreants, abducted and either released on monstrous ransom or killed while still in custody of their captors.

“It will interest you to know sir, that in the height of this insecurity unrest, the Area Commander has remained unshaken, disconcerted, unperturbed, moved or taken any steps to curb the insecurity unrest prevalent in the Town.

“The Area Commander has remained docile without been seen taking any meaningful steps to combat the security issues rampaging the town, He keeps living lavishly in a hotel and seems to only interested in settling matters involving internet fraudsters A.K.A. Yahoo BoysSir, on daily basis too he sends patrol teams into the town not with the aim of combating crime but to look for young men claiming they are in custody of hard drugs or arresting vehicles with the aim of extorting money from them.

“The Police from the Area command under the leadership of the Area Command have abandoned their major function of protecting the lives and properties of citizens and have started usurping the function and activities of the Federal Road Safety Corps and the National Drug Law Enforcement agents.

“He has equally abandoned his office at the Area Command Sapele for the comfort of a hotel on a permanent basis. The Area Commander Sir has become a serious backbone to criminal miscreants in Sapele Metropolis as his docile attitude has encouraged, advanced, strengthened their activities.”