CLO Petitions Commission Over MOPOL Commander

Members of the Civil Liberties Organi-sation (CLO), South East Zone have strongly petitioned the chairman, Police Service Commission, for thorough investigation into the abuse of office and corruption allegedly being perpetrated by the commander of the Mobile Police Force Base (MOPOL 3), Enugu.

According to a statement issued in Enugu, Monday, signed by the South East zonal Director of the organization, Barrister Olu Omotayo, investigation carried out at (MOPOL 3), Enugu, revealed “massive corruption being perpetrated by the Commander of the Base Mr. Mamah Giwa (CSP), which is highly detrimental to the welfare of the policemen under him”.

The Mobile Police Force Base (MOPOL 3), Enugu, they went on, has about 11 Units and each Unit is led by a Unit Commander, just as each Unit is made up of 63 personnel including the Unit Commander.

The CLO said: “Despite the fact that the Commander of the Mobile Police Base collects over N1m as Service Charge every month from over fifty bank branches and companies in the State, he still abuses his position. Our investigation shows that out of the 11 Units under his command, at least 10 Units are posted to duty at various banks and companies. Each Mobile policeman posted to bank and companies is paid by the bank or company a weekly allowance of N17,500. From the sum of N17,500, the bank or company is directed to pay only N10,500 to each policeman N10,500 weekly, while the Mobile Police Commander sends a Police Corporal from the Base who acts as his agent, to collect the outstanding N7,000 from the payment of all the policemen serving in all the banks and companies in the state on weekly bases”.

“We learnt that Mr. Giwa always maintained that the N7,000 collected on weekly basis from the allowances of these policemen are to be used for their welfare and to take care of their barracks at the Mobile Police Base. Our investigation further reveals that Mr. Giwa makes at least N4.5million weekly, from the collection of N7,000 naira, from about 650 policemen which made up the 10 units, under his Command”.

“We call for a thorough investigation of this matter by your office and also demand that all the illegal deductions made from the allowances of men of this base by the Commander of the Base since three years back, should be collected from him and return to all the affected policemen. This will definitely serve as a deterrent to all other corrupt senior officers of the Force who are always bent on frustrating all efforts by government and organizations to ensure that the country has a well encouraged, efficient and disciplined Police Force,” the statement added.