No fewer than 253 pending disciplinary cases on misconduct ?of police officers reported in 2010 are still pending in the Police Service Commission (PSC).?The 2010 annual report of the commission, which was made available to journalists in Abuja, said the commission also received 91 appeals and petitions during the period.
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It said that 32 of such pending matters were for dismissal, 21 for compulsory retirement, 27 for reduction in rank only, five for reduction in rank and retirement, while 77 were for severe reprimand.?Others were 32 for exoneration, 34 for reprimand, one for reinstatement and 22 for ?letter of advice.
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The report said 10 of ?the petitions under appeals and petitions for commutal of dismissal to retirement, four were for formalisation of dismissal and two for conversion of ?indefinite suspension to retirement.
It added that seven were for reinstatement, subject to court order verification, one for conversion of reduction in rank to severe reprimand and 59 for rejection.
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The report said complaints that brought about the pending disciplinary cases during the period ranged from abuse of office, brutality and assault, corruption, extra judicial killing and ?harassment/intimidation to extortion and criminal force.
Others were ?homicide/murder, rape, shooting and maiming, threat to life, torture, wrongful detention and other miscellaneous cases.
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It said except for the inspector general of police (IGP), officers from the ranks of constable to deputy inspectors general of Police (DIGs) were petitioned for misconduct.?The report said that two DIGs were petitioned for alleged “homicide/murder”and other miscellaneous cases”.
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It said four assistant inspectors general of police (AIGs) were also petitioned for ?corruption, harassment and intimidation.
Also petitioned for one misconduct or the other were 17 commissioners of police (CPs), 13 deputy commissioners of police (DCPs), seven assistant commissioners ofpolice (ACPs) and 22 chiefsuperintendents ofpolice (CSPs).
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The report, however, noted that 2010 witnessed a drastic decline in the number of ?disciplinary cases brought against police officers when compared with 2009.?It attributed the reduction to increased accountability by serving officers and the “intolerant posture” of the commission to misconduct.
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NAN reports that the PSC Establishment Act of 2001 empowered tthe PSC to appoint, promote, dismiss and discipline all police officers, except the IGP. (NAN) ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?