The Police Service Commission (PSC) has dismissed seven senior officers and demoted 10 others over alleged gross misconduct. 

Dismissed officers include a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Superintendent of Police (SP), and five Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP), while one SP was retired in the public interest. 

The decision was taken at the 15th plenary meeting presided over by the acting Chairman of the PSC, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, while considering all the 47 pending disciplinary matters before the commission. 

“The commission also reduced the ranks of a CSP to SP, three SPs to DSP, and two DSPs to ASPs, and reduced the ranks of four ASPs to Inspectors.

“10 senior police officers, including an ACP, a CSP, an SP, two DSPs, and five ASPs, were given the punishment of severe reprimand,” Ikechukwu Ani, the spokesperson for the commission said on Tuesday. 

Mr Ani explained that Justice Ogunbiyi also issued a letter of warning to two police officers while four were exonerated out of the 13 officers that received the punishment. 

He added that the PSC would henceforth give attention to pending “disciplinary matters” so that those found guilty are punished immediately, stressing that “while those found not guilty are cleared to continue with their career progression.”

Mr Ani added, “Justice Ogunbiyi called on police officers to ensure they operate within established rules and avoid taking laws into their own hands.”

He said the PSC would continue to work to sustain a professional police force that operates in line with established rules and regulations and conformity with international best practices.

Early last month, the police authority announced that it received no fewer than 431 complaints from citizens against its officers between July and September 2022.

Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, presented this to journalists in Abuja while explaining the authority’s effort at ensuring discipline among police officers. 

Mr Dingyadi explained that out of the figure, 304 complaints were resolved with 81 punishments awarded to the erring officers. 

He also mentioned that “40 officers are undergoing internal disciplinary processes to determine their innocence or otherwise.”