The Oyo State Police Command on Thursday, December 21, dismissed two special constables caught in a viral video demanding money from a Dutch tourist along the Iseyin-Oyo road.
The special constables had earlier been arrested by the police after the video went viral.
The state Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, said that the two policemen were apprehended following a viral video of an incident along Iseyin/Ogbomosho Road in Oyo, where they were demanding money from a Dutch woman rider.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed their arrest in a statement, condemning the actions of the constables as “unprofessional, unacceptable, and punishable.”
The commissioner swiftly initiated a disciplinary procedure in response to the incident.
Speaking while dismissing the two officers at the Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, Hamzat said indiscipline will not be tolerated, saying the present administration of Police has zero tolerance for extortion.
He said their actions were flagrant, disobedient and disregard to the directive of the Inspector General of Police, which has zero tolerance for corruption.
“I, Adebola Hamzat, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police affirmed the recommended punishment of dismissal for the two Special Constabulary, and I hereby pronounced both of them dismissed from the Special Constabulary, they will be declared and seized to be a member of the Special Constabulary with immediate effect.”
He said,
“IGP has warned against extortion, yet, this still happened, the two officers were tried and found guilty of violating section C subsection 4, and section E, subsection 3 of the force schedule of regulation 370, Police Act 2020 Act No 2, and they were recommended for dismissal as members of the Special Constabulary working with the Police.
“We don’t condole corruption because we don’t want the command to be giving bad name, it was a big disgrace despite the command of zero tolerance for corruption we have in this command, whatever the government is giving to you should be enough for you to survive, why shall you be behaving as the poorest of the poor.”
He however said the dismissal will serve as a deterrent to others who want to do the same thing.