The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, has ordered the immediate redeployment of the embattled Divisional Police Officer, Sagamu Division, John Mark, to the Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.
This redeployment came barely 24 hours after some youths and residents of Sagamu staged a protest against Mark, who is a Chief Superintendent of Police.
According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, the redeployment came on the heels of the allegations of corruption levelled against the DPO.
He said the command was not insensitive to the allegations, adding that Mark’s redeployment would pave the way for smooth investigation of the allegations and counter allegations.
Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, was however silent on the new officer to replace the DPO.
It will be recalled that last week Tuesday, the Ogun State House of Assembly had accused the former Sagamu DPO of corruption, alleging that he collected bribe and bail money from suspects arrested.
They had also asked the state Police commissioner to investigate all the allegations against him.
A lawmaker, who is also the majority leader representing Sagamu 1 State Constituency, Adeyinka Mafe, had complained to the House that Mark was corrupt and that he had subjected people in his constituency to untold hardship.
But the command had earlier stood by Mark, arguing that he was the best DPO in the state. The command had said he was sent to Sagamu to “rid it of evil and the sponsors of evil.”
The command, which spoke through Adejobi, had then said that Mafe had no moral right to level allegations of corruption against Mark, because the command had 15 cases against him (Mafe).
But in a swift reaction, the lawmaker replied the police, arguing that he had 50 petitions against Mark.
On Monday, however, the command said it would set up a panel to investigate the matter.
Commenting on the panel on Tuesday, Adejobi said the state Commissioner of Police had constituted a powerful six-man committee, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Finance and Administration, Celestine Okoye, to investigate the allegations against the DPO and the lawmaker. He said the report of the panel was to be forwarded within one week.
He said, “The Committee is expected to carefully X-ray the remote and immediate cause of the brouhaha vis-a-vis allegations and counter allegations in the said matter so as to set the record straight.
“The Commissioner of Police wishes to assure the general public that the command will not tolerate any act of corruption or unprofessionalism and inappropriate behaviour that can tarnish the image and reputation of the Force.
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