The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Idowu Owohunwa has ordered the removal of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Meiran Police Station for alleged leadership dereliction and supervisory ineptitude.
CP Idowu Owohunwa directive followed complaint Engr. Ibrahim Saliu, who accused some policemen attached to the station of extorting N200,000 from him.
Mr Saliu alleged that the officers had detained him and his brother, Olaiya Murtala, for failure not provide an identity card or the receipts for the iPhones found on Olaiya.
According to Saliu, the officers, alongside the station’s DPO, threatened him and his brother with imprisonment if they failed to provide receipts for the phones.
“The DPO took the iPhones, removed the warranty stickers, and declared that my brother and I are thieves and armed robbers.
“The next thing I heard was the DPO giving them an order to detain us and that we would be locked up for stealing and armed robbery. We were surprised that we started begging,” Saliu explained.
Saliu disclosed that he was asked to make a N500,000 payment to secure their freedom. They agreed to N200,000, paid in cash per the officers’ order.
The spokesperson of the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday, October 18.
“CP Idowu Owohunwa has ordered the immediate removal of DPO Meiran for leadership dereliction and supervisory ineptitude.
“Meanwhile, all the officers involved have been identified and are currently at the Command headquarters where their orderly room trial has commenced,” the PPRO stated.
