Following the wake of the #EndSARS protest that claimed about 22 lives of policemen across the country, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has frowned at some policemen for their failure to return back to their various duty posts. The commission said the police service rules have prescribed a dismissal to any officer or men of the Nigerian Police Force who deserts his duty post for a stipulated number of days, while advising them that being a religion practicing individuals they should take the demise of their colleagues in good faith and return back to their duty posts. Although the PSC noted that no policeman deserves to be killed in his line of duty, not just as an officer but as a fellow human being, however, the deed has been done by the hoodlums and they should just face the reality and return back to work.
Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, the spokesperson of the commission, stated that the attack on the policemen was not a good signal for the country saying “because when you make Nigeria lawless and ungovernable, there would be a situation nobody would be able to control.”
Findings by vigi360 revealed that most policemen covering some black spots have deserted their duty posts when the hoodlum hijacked the EndSARS protest that engulfed the country last two weeks.
Similarly, Riot policemen had also failed to turn up for duty for the fear of the unknown when the hoodlums went on a looting and vandalism spree of both public and private properties, after the Inspector General of the Police, Mohammed Adamu ordered the policemen to reclaim the public space from the hoodlums.
Accordingly, some senior officers had expressed fear for their lives, saying their security was not guaranteed hence their decision to stay away from work.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the commission noted that though the attack on the officers was unfortunate, but that should not be an excuse to abandon the job of protecting the nation they signed while joining the force.
In his statement, “The Nigeria Police Force is part of the public service and the public service is guided by the Public Service Rules. If you don’t come to work without permission, the punishment is dismissal if it is proven.
He continued, “The police as public servants are guided by the rules; so, they cannot on their own say they won’t go to work. Although, the Police Service Commission is also working to make sure they are protected because they are human beings; their lives also matter.”
Consequently, he warned the hoodlums on any further attack of the policemen saying the person or group of persons found shall face the full wrath of the law.
He cautions the general public that if they all fail to restraint their children and allow them to go wild they would be throwing the nation into anarchy and that would spell doom for everybody.
He concluded, “It would be an ill-wind that blows nobody any good but it is not a reason for anybody to say he won’t go to work. If you don’t go to work, the Public Service Rules will take its course.”