Senate orders recall of suspended police officer 21 years after

By Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja

 

Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase

THE Senate yesterday requested the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to immediately order the reinstatement of Sergeant Amos Olaniyan, who was illegitimately suspended 21 years ago from service.

This followed a petition submitted to the Senate by Senator Solomon Adeola (All Progressives Congress, Lagos West) on behalf of the victim who was one of his constituents.

The Senate also ordered that the officer be fully paid his salaries and all monies due to him including promotions for the number of years he was suspended.

Olaniyan was said to have been verbally suspended from Nigerian Police Force 21 years ago for an offence that he was later found innocent of.

The matter was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, which conducted an investigation into the matter.

According to the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led committee, although Sergeant Olaniyan was found not guilty, the police could not reinstate him, as the officer who suspended him did so only verbally and has since retired.

The report of the committee, which was adopted at the plenary however stipulated that, “Sergeant Olaniyan be fully re-integrated into the Police Force with a letter of reinstatement, and apology be tendered to him and that all his dues including promotions and entitlements be fully granted and paid.”

Senator Adeola while presenting the petition on the floor of the Senate had stated that Olaniyan was verbally suspended in 1994 on a baseless allegation of bribery which an Orderly Room Trail discharged and acquitted him but the Police refused to recall him even as he had his Police ID card and uniform.

Reacting to the findings and resolution of the Senate, Senator Adeola expressed joy that at last, justice has been done to his constituent who had suffered for 21 years without any redress.

Meanwhile, the committee on Police Affairs has been mandated to ensure immediate compliance with the resolution and other similar resolutions and report back within two weeks.