The Chairman, Police Service Commission, Dr. Mike Okiro, has dismissed a letter from the commission demoting the Lagos State Acting Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police.

What happened:

• Two Acting Commissioners of Police (ACP) had been demoted to their rank of Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP).
• Those affected are the Acting Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, and Aji Ali Janga.

What Okiro said:

He stated that the letter was not authorised and should be ignored.

The commission’s Permanent Secretary, Musa Istifanus, had written to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, about the demotion of Imohimi to his former rank of DCP.

The letter had generated confusion and consternation within the leadership of the police, as well as stakeholders.

Okiro explained that he had told  the IG to ignore the letter written by the commission’s Permanent Secretary, Musa Istifanus, about the demotion.

He added that he would discuss the matter with Istifanus.

He said, “The letter was not authorised by the commission; Istifanus did not write on my behalf. I read the letter too like everybody and I have told the IG to ignore it. The letter was not authorised at all. I will meet with Istifanus about it and find out how the letter came about.”

The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said Imohimi remained the Acting Lagos CP.

He said, “The PSC has the power to appoint, promote and discipline officers, but  it does not have the power to demote. It can only demote an officer after the Force Disciplinary Committee has looked into what the officer has done and then recommend him for a disciplinary action, PSC can only authenticate what the police take to it.”

He added, “In this case, Acting CP Imohimi has not committed any disciplinary offence and the Force Disciplinary Committee has not recommended him for demotion.”

Azeez