Police IG validates dismissal of officer involved in N25, 000 bribery scandal

By The Citizen

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Muhammed Abubakar, on Thursday vowed to uphold the integrity of the police, saying he would not preside over a corrupt Nigeria Police Force.

He was reacting to the recent dismissal of a police sergeant, Chris Omeleze, who was caught on video,  demanding a bribe of  N25,000 from a motorist.

Abubakar spoke with State House correspondents shortly after    joining members of the Muslim community in the Federal Capital Territory to pay homage to President Goodluck Jonathan, on the occasion of the Sallah at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

In response to a view that some Nigerians are of the view that the decision to dismiss Omeleze was too harsh, the police boss said, 'For somebody who is corrupt? I will not run a corrupt police service.'

On the latest revelation that Omeleze might not be the dismissed sergeant's real name as he had been accused of having been using a friend's name, Abubakar said there was an ongoing process and that if the other person was ready to come and give evidence, the embattled former sergeant would be prosecuted.

On the call for the redeployment of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, over the political crisis in the state, Abubakar said the police force, under his leadership, would not be involved in politics.