The Nigeria Police has dismissed three officers from the Special Protection Unit, SPU, Base 1 Kano, for offences bordering on discreditable conduct, misuse of firearms, abuse of power, gross indiscipline, and wastage of live ammunition.
The officers’ dismissal followed an orderly room trial by the Force Provost Marshal over complaints and a viral video evidence, exposing the high-handedness, unprofessional conduct and misuse of firearms of the policemen.
The trio, Inspector Dahiru Shuaibu, Sgt. Abdullahi Badamasi, and Sgt. Isah Danladi, who were police attaché to a Kano-based musician, were on escort duties on Friday, April 7, 2023, when they committed the offence.
The officers had in the course of their duty at Kahutu Village, Katsina State, repeatedly fired shots from their official firearms into the air.
They were also said to have violated the Police Policy against firing into the air, standard operating procedure as well as relevant orders, including disregarding the possible risk of such acts to the crowd at the location which included children.
The force headquarters, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, noted that the act was not only criminal and unprofessional, but also embarrassing to the Nigeria Police and the nation at large.
“The Nigeria Police hereby warns all officers to ensure they carryout their duties inline with the extant laws to avoid running foul of its provisions and attracting attendant sanctions.
“Supervising officers have also been tasked to ensure continuous and detailed lectures of their men to ensure they are well acquainted with all necessary standard operating procedures”, it stated.