The police in Lagos have dismissed three officers who were found guilty of spraying tear-gas on a man identified as Ademuwagun Solomon near China Town in the Ojota area of Lagos.
Chike Oti, the police spokesperson, said the officers were convicted on Saturday in an orderly room trial.
The dismissed officers include Momoh Sulaiman, an Inspector; Emmanuel Monday, a Sergeant; and Adamu Usman, a Sergeant.
Mr Sulaiman was the leader of the team, the police said.
“They were therefore dismissed and de-kitted accordingly,” Mr Oti, a superintendent of police, said in a statement on Sunday.
“However, the dismissal proceeding of Inspector Momoh Sulaiman has been forwarded to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 for approval.”
Earlier reports of the incident which led to the police officers’ accused them of shooting a suspected internet fraudster.
A video of the incident, which occurred on Friday, titled ‘SARS Operatives shoot man wrongly labeled a fraudster in Ojota’ was circulated widely on the internet.
The police, however, denied it was a shooting but a tear-gas spray from the officers which provoked a severe asthmatic crisis on Mr Solomon.
The Lagos police also released its 2018 half-year disciplinary record of its officers showing that 95 persons were subjected to orderly room trials out of which 87 were punished.
A breakdown of the types of punishment meted out to the officers includes five dismissals; four demotions; 43 ‘major entry;’ three given severe reprimands; four receiving extra fatigue; and 28 warning notice.
Five officers were discharged and acquitted.
“The officers were tried in a properly constituted orderly room and were found guilty of various offences against discipline which earned them appropriate punishments depending on the charges against them,” Mr Oti said.
“The Commissioner of Police said that this would serve as a deterrent to other policemen wishing to toe the path of infamy, that the Nigeria Police under the watch of the Inspector General of Police, has no room for them. He warned all serving police officers to be professional at all times in the discharge of their duties and shun corrupt practices.” (Premium Times)
