Police ignore Senate order to recall officer on 21-year suspension

This was made known in a letter written by the lawmaker representing Lagos West Senatorial District, Senator Solomon Adeola, to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, a copy of which was obtained by our reporter on Saturday. The letter was dated June 28, 2017, with a stamp indicating that it was received by the Department of Finance and Administration at the Force Headquarters. It was titled ‘Re-implementation of Senate resolution on the case of Sgt. Amos Olaniyan (F/NO/115200) who was verbally suspended for 21 years.’ Adeola alleged in the letter that despite the Senate’s probe into the circumstances surrounding Olaniyan’s suspension and finding him innocent, and the fact that the then IGP, Mr. Solomon Arase, ordered that the officer be reinstated and paid his dues, the order had not been enforced. The letter read, “Once again, I write in respect of a constituent, Sgt. Amos Olaniyan (F/No./115200), who was verbally suspended for 21 years for an alleged offence he has since been declared innocent of. “In June 2015, l presented his case to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and after a thorough investigation and inquiry involving the Nigeria Police Force, the Senate resolved through Resolution/069/01/15 (attached) that the officer, Sergeant Amos Olaniyan, be fully integrated into the police force with a letter of re-instatement and apology; and that all his dues, including promotions and entitlement, be fully granted and paid. “The Senate resolution was widely publicised in mainstream and social media and it has always been advertised as part of the achievements of the 8th Senate. “Subsequently, your predecessor, IGP Solomon Arase, via a letter (Ref: AH:6790/FPM/FHQ/AB/VOL.6) dated February 26, 2016 (attached), directed that the appellant, Sgt. Amos Olaniyan, be ‘re-instated notionally with effect from October 11, 1994 and retired August 11, 2015.’ “Surprisingly, all efforts by the retired officer to claim his entitlement and benefits with or without promotions have amounted to nothing. This was in spite of my communications with your office on two separate occasions through duly acknowledged letters (attached) dated September 22, 2016 and November 11, 2016.”]]>