New York based online newspaper Sahara Reporters last week broke the news of a secret reinstatement of one Ibrahim Danjuma, a deputy commissioner of police suspended from the Nigerian Police Force in the year 2005.

His suspension was an aftermath of his alleged involvement in the killing of six traders between the night of June 7 and 8 2005. A panel instituted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to unravel the mystery behind the heinous crime recommended Danjuma and some of his colleagues for trial. They were immediately suspended from the force to allow them face prosecution.

However, twelve years later, Ibrahim Danjuma has been acquitted of his accusations for ‘lack of evidence’, and he has been reinstated to the Nigerian Police Force in a secret manner that could have remained unknown if not for the investigative prowess of Sahara Reporters. The reinstatement has however elicited reactions from Nigerians,  many condemning the police force and the federal government for supporting the return of a person so entitled and socipathic to the Nigerian Police.

As expected, in a sharp defence ,the Nigerian Police hinged their reinstatement on the judgement of an FCT High Court presided over by Judge Ishaq Bello who  made a pronouncement that there was no evidence to convict Mr. Danjuma and two of his colleagues standing trial.

The police service commission hurriedly facilitated the reinstatement of Ibrahim Danjuma despite the fact that the affected individuals have appealed the judgement with an existing stay of execution. The PSC chose to disregard that but rather chose to reinstate a man whose actions has destroyed the homes and lives of six promising Nigerians.

That a competent court of jurisdiction ordered their reinstatement isn’t enough reason to return such individual with dented records into the force. The Police Service Commission should have converted the order nullifying his suspension to a retirement to purge the force of individuals like Danjuma Ibrahim.

To show the police is not getting better anytime soon, it was done secretly without any media publication towards it. That the police  embarked on such questionable act at a time  the world internal security and police index (WISPI) names it the worst police force in the world, they’ve shown to all they are not ready for the expected change.

Editor