We Can Only Beg Officers To Return To Duty, Not Force Them – Police Service Commission Denies Dismissal Threat To Personnel

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has denied issuing a threat of dismissal to officers who refused to return to their duties for fear of being attacked by mob.

The chaos that trailed the ENDSARS protests which led to the deaths of some security operatives had made some personnel of the force to be demoralised to perform their constitutional duties for fear of being attacked.

MERIDIAN SPY, however, reported days ago the PSC ordered all its personnel to return to their duty posts or risk being dismissed from the force.

In an interview with The Punch, Ikechukwu Ani, spokesperson of the commission, encouraged officers with low morale to put the killing of their colleagues behind them, adding that the Public Service Rules which also applies to members of the Nigeria Police Force, prescribes dismissal for any officer that deserts his job. 

Ani averred that the attack on policemen by hoodlums should not be an excuse for them to stay away from work.

But in a statement on Sunday, the PSC Spokesperson said that with the experience police officers had during the ENDSARS crisis, whereby many of them were killed, it “can only plead with the officers to in the spirit of nationalism return to work.”

“The Police Service Commission wishes to state that it did not at any time say Police men who refused to get back to work will be dismissed,” the statement read.

“The Commission had condemned the killing of police officers on legitimate duties and had warned that any attempt to make the country lawless will be an ill-wind that will blow nobody any good.

“The Commission can only plead with the officers to in the spirit of nationalism return to work while Government works out enough protective programs for them.

“The Commission will continue to do its best to ensure the police are motivated to do its job.

“The Commission being the employers of the Police is pained that Police men were killed and stations set ablaze throughout the country.

“It will be very insensitive at this point for anyone to say that the Commission will dismiss any police man who didn’t return to work. The Commission is even at present mourning the deaths of it’s gallant officers who were killed in the crisis.”