Police dismiss trigger-happy cop as CP reads riot act to parties

The policeman whose gunshot injured former member of the House of Representatives, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele and five others at a reception rally by the All Progressives Congress (APC) last Friday, has been dismissed from the police force.

The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti Command, Mr. Bello Ahmed, made this known while featuring on a live television programme, aired in Ado Ekiti, yesterday.

This was just as the CP read riot act to politicians in the state yesterday, warning them to abide by the rules governing the conduct of election to prevent anarchy in the state.

He said the command won’t fold its arms and allow people to breach the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act in the name of election.

He said the meeting convened for stakeholders to brainstorm on how to ensure peaceful conduct of the coming governorship election and that the riot act has been read to them to serve as a guided principle.

The Police boss assured that his men will be neutral in the July 14 election and won’t do anything that would make them look as if they were working for a certain political party.

“What I want from men is professionalism. We are going to be guided by the instrumentality of the law, because this election is going to be a different ball game.”

On the deployment of more anti-riot policemen to Ekiti since last week, Ahmed said:  “You know what is on the ground will determine what will be done. If the situation on ground dictates we behave otherwise,
we will do provided it is within the confines of the law.

The CP said “the policeman involved is dismissed already and even though he’s nursing some injury; and at the appropriate time, he will face the law. Nigerians will be briefed on the outcome of our actions.”

Ahmed also explained that the politician that brought the erring cop was also in detention and that at the appropriate time, he would be charged to court.

“We are going to regulate every inch of activity in the state. We will not sit down and tolerate any act of lawlessness, whoever is involved.
The police, we are willing, competent to take action against any group or persons, either individual or groups as far this campaign is concerned.”

The Chairman of APC, Ekiti chapter, Chief Jide Awe, described the meeting as a fruitful deliberation, saying the police boss spoke frankly and expressed his feelings about the comportments of political
parties.

“The police boss spoke frankly and he told us to warn our supporters to respect the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act and this we have to do in the interest of our dear state.
“We want to rule over living and not dead people, so we need to exercise restraint in the way we conduct ourselves.”

His counterpart in the PDP, Gboyega Oguntuase, said what the police boss preached at the meeting was civility and decorum from all political parties, which he assured his party will stringently comply
with.

“As much as we believe in this, he must also not be unaware of something; you can’t rig election and be expecting decorum .

“What our people will resist is corruption and rigging and once the police and other security agencies are ready to be neutral, then there will be peace.”

Other chairmen at the meeting conceded to the idea that credible election must be conducted in Ekiti to avert crisis.