Date: 2017-10-28

The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Mr. Lawan Ado, says he would henceforth dismiss any male policeman caught searching a female suspect.

Recently, a young woman, Kachi Zion, accused four operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of sexually harassing her along the Pipeline area of Ilorin.

She specifically accused one of the policemen of inserting his fingers into her private part.

The command's Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, in a statement on Friday said the CP spoke during a meeting with men and officers of the command alongside operatives of the Federal SARS at the police headquarters in Ilorin.

Okasanmi said, "The CP told them that a male policeman searching a female suspect is a misnomer. He also said it is robbery when policemen accost citizens and search for mobile phones or force suspects to withdraw money from automated teller machines.

"He further declared that any officer arrested doing any of the above would be dismissed and charged to court.

"This is a result of a number of allegations of misconducts against the SARS operatives in recent times." The CP said the allegations had brought disrepute to the image and the good name of the command.

He referred to allegations of extortion and labelling every young man seen in a vehicle with laptops computers as 'Yahoo boy', while also warning against drunkenness while on duty.

He further re-echoed the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, that the ban on road blocks on highways remained in force, adding that policemen who flouted this would be arrested.

Ado, however, assured the policemen that their welfare would continue to be a priority to the police authorities.