305
POLICE SUSPENDS EDO PCRC CHAIRMAN FOR WEARING POLICE UNIFORM, ACCOUTREMENTS
• As IGP Decries indiscriminate use, sales of Police uniform
The Nigeria Police Force has ordered the immediate and indefinite suspension of the Edo State Chairperson of the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, Mrs. Helen Atekha Odemwingie, following the viral Online Media report of her appearance in police uniforms, kits, and accoutrements at an event recently .
In a press statement e-signed, released and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP by the Acting Force Spokesperson, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated that, “The Nigeria Police Force has ordered the immediate and indefinite suspension of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Chairperson for the Edo State Police Command, Mrs. Helen Atekha Odemwingie. The Force equally decried the illegal use of police uniforms, kits, and accoutrements by non-police individuals and groups.“
According to Adejobi “The suspension is coming on the heels of a trending picture of the PCRC chairperson and other members at a function held at the Edo State Police Command wherein the PCRC members were seen wearing black uniforms similar to that of the Nigeria Police Force, with accompanying insignias and various inscriptions. It has been noted that the act contravenes the provisions of section 214{1} of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and section 101 of the Police Act, 2020.”
In line with the extant law, the IGP hereby warns that henceforth, any individual who adorns themselves illegally in police uniforms, would be made to face the full wrath of the law. Similarly, the IGP has ordered the police disciplinary unitsparticularly the Force Provost Marshal, the IGP X-Squad and Monitoring Unit to clampdown on persons who engage in the illegal sales of police uniforms, kits and accoutrements, outside of police approved stores and the office of the Quartermaster.”
In the same vein, the Inspector-General of Police has further directed the Force Public Relations Officer to meet and collaborate with members of the Guild of Actors in Nigeria to improve partnership to ensure proper use of police uniforms, kits and accoutrements in their movies/skits.
