Eight Mobile Policemen arrested for mounting illegal check points

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
CALABAR – ABOUT eight officers of the Police Mobile Force Eleven Squadron, Calabar, Cross River State have been arrested between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States by a team of Mobile Force deployed from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, for allegedly mounting illegal road blocs and improper dressing.

The Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar had on assumption of office disbanded all road blocs by policemen and a team of mobile Officers was constituted to monitor the compliance of the IG’s directive.

One of the officers arrested for gross indiscipline

The team was mandated to arrest any officer that defied the directives and possibly institute disciplinary measures in order to put a stop any form of illegal escort, improper dressing, and unauthorized check points among others.

The team led by the Commander in charge of Ethics, Doctrine and Monitoring, Mr. Anietie Eyo arrested three mobile policemen who allegedly did not obey the directives of the IGP in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.

On their way to Cross River State with the arrested culprits, the team again arrested two mobile policemen who abandoned their beat at the National Independent Power Plant, Odukpani to mount illegal checkpoint along the Calabar-Itu expressway.

Another two other police officers were apprehended within the premises of  the MOPOL 11 Command in Calabar, Cross River State for improper dressing and one other officer whose dressing was most appalling, was arrested outside.

At the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, another culprit was arrested for violating the rules on escort of VIPs which stipulated that the security personnel must not be less than two in number.

However, at a Mobile Police checkpoint along the Calabar-Ikang road, Bakassi, the team only identified two culprits that they could not arrest because of the sensitive nature of their job in the border area.

The arrested combat policemen were left in the custody of various police divisions in the Akwa Ibom and Cross River State commands pending when further action would be taken on them.

When contacted on telephone, the Commissioner of Police in charge of PMF at the Force Headquarters Abuja, Mr. Mbu J. Mbu, said all the culprits would be tried in-house and punished in line with the dictates of the rules.

Mbu said, “We have our departmental disciplinary procedure. IG made pronouncement that had to do with dress code, that they must be combat ready at all times. These are the things that we are now trying to enforce. We have forwarded the signals to all field commanders and have given them enough time so that the men would conform to the directive.”

He expressed confidence that the team would carry out its duty effectively without compromising, adding that any officer who tried to induce members of the team would be dealt with accordingly.

On the issue of those who were not arrested but found wanting, Mbu said, “There are some designated checkpoints. Those people may not be taken away from their duty post because of the sensitive nature of their job, but their names and force numbers will be taken and they will be invited for trial.”