The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Monday, raised the alarm that some of the police officers accused of guarding a house where its operatives arrested foreign hackers were on illegal duty.
The top cop also disclosed that the officers had been apprehended, and they would be made to face the law for denigrating the force and attempting to rubbish the image of the organisation.
Egbetokun spoke in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists during a high-level meeting he held with all heads of investigative units.
Daily Trust reported last week that the force, through its spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, announced the arrest of 130 suspects linked to high-level cybercrimes, hacking and activities threatening national security.
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Adejobi, an ASP, had listed that the syndicate included 113 foreign nationals comprising 87 men and 26 women, mainly from China and Malaysia as well as 17 Nigerian collaborators.
Responding to our correspondent’s question at the briefing, the police boss said the arrested police officers are currently being detained while investigations continue to unravel why they were on illegal duties.
“And the fact that some policemen were also seen protecting these foreigners. Yes, it is true. And the policemen have been arrested. We found out that the policemen were on illegal duty. Nobody deployed them. They were not properly deployed for that assignment,” Egbetokun said.
He stressed that their commanders were also queried and they disowned them, vowing that any police officers protecting foreigners with criminal minds or records would be severely dealt with.
He added, “I have explained that those police escorts were not formally deployed by the police authority, but they were found performing illegal duty.
“And they have already been found escorting the arrested foreigners. Already in our custody, their unit commanders have denied them that they did not send them. So, they were performing illegal duties, and they will be dealt with accordingly.”
He, however, clarified that there were individuals in the society, especially employers of labour and big businessmen, who deserve police protection.
He said, “Some of these policemen you see attached to people who don’t deserve police protection were not actually deployed formally by the police authority.
“Some of them were picked on the streets. And we are already addressing that. Recently, I issued a signal that anywhere such happens, the policeman will be traced to where he comes from, and his commander or his supervisor will be held liable.”
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