Illegality: Police Service Commision Orders CP To Retire, Refund Two Years Salaries

LAGOS DECEMBER 23RD (NEWSRANGERS)-The Police Service Commission has directed a Commissioner of Police and former Chief Security Officer to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, CP Abdulkarim Dauda, to tender his letter of retirement from the Police Force with immediate effect for breach of due process/illegal extension of tenure.

The PSC took the decision at its 13 plenary meeting held on December 20 and 21 in Abuja, with Musiliu Smith presiding.

Dauda, who also worked briefly with President Muhammadu Buhari and was due for retirement from the NPF after attaining the mandatory 35 years in service, has also been directed to refund salaries he collected from the Police from January 2020 to date.

These decisions were disclosed by the PSC’s Commissioner in charge Media and Publicity, Austin Braimoh, at a briefing after the plenary.

Dauda was said to have claimed that he was given extension of service during the tenure of former IGP Mohammed Adamu to year 2021.

But Braimoh disclosed that during plenary, all the records were searched and there was nowhere or any document showing that President Buhari approved an extension for him, while there was also no record showing when or where Adamu authorised his extension of service.

He said the illegal extension of service by Dauda came into the open when the former CSO sent a correspondence to the PSC demanding promotion to the next rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police, arguing that he was qualified for such since by virtue of the extension, he was still in the force.

He added: “So the Board of the PSC having discovered several infractions on the issue of extension for CP Abdulkarim Dauda without due process, rejected the extension and backdated his retirement to 1st of January, 2020 when he was actually due for retirement.

“We have no record that his tenure was extended by Mr. President.

“So quietly, we have asked for him to go.

“He is to retire and return the salaries he collected from January 2020 till date.

“We even tempered justice with mercy because when he was to retire, he was given extension.

“It was a violation of the Police act and statutes.

“On top of that, he is appealing that he should be promoted upwards when he is on illegal extension.”

Asked why it took the commission this long to act on the illegal extension while the officer was collecting salaries and superintending over others, Braimoh said: “The PSC is a constitutional body.

“We follow due process and ensure that the law is applied justice-ably and obeyed.

“As you can see, we even tempered Justice with Mercy.”

On the disciplinary case against a former Head of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, Braimoh said the report of the committee set up to probe him has been submitted to the commission by the IGP, Usman Baba, after the DIG Joseph Egbunike panel completed its investigation several weeks ago.

He said: “The Police Service Commission is not going to set up a panel to try DCP Abba Kyari or look into his case separately.

“The plenary has not deliberated on the aspect of discipline for officers.

“It will be done jointly with other disciplinary cases of other officers having issues.

“Kyari’s case and others will be decided after due consideration of everything.

“We do not treat any disciplinary cases in isolation.”

On when the planery will reconvene, Braimoh said: “The plenary for disciplinary issues is adjourned till January 2022.

“What we considered today are promotion and appeals.”

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