The Police High Command, Abuja, has said that it was not aware that acting Commissioner of Police, Lagos state Police Command, Imohimi Edgal, had been demoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police. Rather, it affirmed that Edgal remains the state’s CP .
The high command’s position followed a letter from the Police Service Commission, PSC addressed to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, informing that Edgal had been reverted to his former rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police.The letter which was signed by the commission’s Permanent Secretary, Mr M.F. Istifanus, on behalf of the Chairman, Mr Mike Okiro was titled ‘Withdrawal of Acting appointment: AP 25095 Mohimi D. Edgal and AP. 36665 Aji Ali Janga,It reads in part: “Our letter with Ref No PS/1924/Vol IX/ dated 22nd August, 2017 conveying the Honourable Chairman’s anticipatory approval for the placement of the above-named officers as Acting Commissioners of Police refers, please.
“The Commission at its 24th Plenary Meeting of 27th and 28th September, 2017, took a decision not to ratify the anticipatory approval.The Officers are, therefore, reverted to their substantive rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).”However, when contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said that Edgal was still the CP Lagos , in acting capacity.He said: “The PSC has the power to appoint, promote and discipline officers. But they don’t have the power to demote.They can only demote an officer after the Force disciplinary committee has looked into what the officer has done and then recommend him for discipline. They can only authorize them to authenticate what the Police take to them. In this case acting CP Edgal has not committed any disciplinary offence and the Force disciplinary committee has not recommended him for reduction . They can not demote him and they have no such powers.
They should not go beyond their powers. Nigeria Police Force can exist without PSC but PSC cant exist without NFF. We are not aware of the reduction in power and acting CP Lagos state has not be demoted”, the FPRO stated.