ABEOKUTA – no fewer than 43 police officers have allegedly absconded from their duties within the Ogun State Police Command, raising serious concerns about the state’s security apparatus.
It was gathered that some of the officers were reportedly assigned to various divisions and units across the state and failed to report for duty without any official reason or prior notice.
A signal number CH:6350/OGS/VOL.10/320 from COMPOL DFA Abeokuta to the AIG Zone 2, Onikan Lagos and exclusively obtained by our correspondent revealed that the absconding officers included a mix of rank-and-file personnel.
The commissioner of police lamented that this has left some divisions understaffed and struggling to maintain law and order.
While the Ogun State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement addressing the matter, it was gathered that investigations are said to be ongoing.
Sources within the command, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said low morale, poor working conditions, and inadequate compensation may have contributed to the officers’ decision to abandon their posts.
The Ogun State Police Command has not officially released the names of the absconded officers due to the ongoing investigation.
But in a leaked Police wireless message, the officers have been accused of abandoning their duties for more than 21 days without permission.
The leaked wireless message further revealed that, effort by the authorities to locate their whereabouts have proved abortive and have, therefore, been declared deserted and dismissed accordingly from the police force effective from March 1, 2024.
The Force said their dismissal was in accordance with section 398(I),(II) of Police Act and Regulation 370 CAP 359 LFN of 1990.
The wireless message further said their salaries should be stopped with immediate effect, ordering all Area Commanders to dekit the affected officers if seen and arrest them for further legal action.
However, a source within the police command has revealed the names of some of the allegedly missing officers:
Some include; Inspector Ajiroba Ali attached to Ilaro Divisional Headquarters, Inspector Zachary Jackson attached to the Ota division, Inspector Gambo Yohana, previously serving at the Sagamu Division, Sergeant Agutan Ajegun formerly stationed at the Abeokuta Division, Sergeant Agbomabiwon Ikun, previously assigned to the Ijebu-Ode Division.
Others on the list scooped by our correspondent are: Sergeant Obo Bunmi, Sergeant Tobi Adeniyi, Sergeant Ajose Popoola, Sgt Omopariola Sunday, Sgt Omitoogun Mureni, Sgt Ayodele Sunday, Sgt Ogungbe Damilola and Corporal Danladi Adanu all attached to the Operations Department and State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
The list also include: Sgt Alalade Samuel, Sgt Yusuf Degodia, Sgt Christiana Abemijo, Sgt Mamood Ganni, Sgt Sanni Ibrahim, Sgt Dada Ayodele, Sgt Imasune Mumu, Sgt Solomon Araosan, Sgt Ifasakin Amoo, Sgt Madomimo Hannah, Sgt Erico Jagba, Corporal Adatan Atanda, Corporal Ibrahim Masa, Corporal Desmond Ekere, Corporal Nwachukwu Taylor, Cpl Waliu Musa, Cpl Franca Josh, Cpl Gariba Joha, and Cpl Fredrick Pat.
The source noted that these names are provisional and subject to confirmation as the investigation progresses.
According to the source, one of the deserting officers, Sgt Ogungbe Damilola, had severally demanded redeployment from his workplace.
The source hinted that Ogungbe was last posted to Alhaji Ibrahim Dangogo, a popular cow seller in an Ogun border community to Igboora in Oyo State as Police escort.
The police source added that Ogungbe discovered that Alhaji Dangogo, a notorious Fulani herdsman, is involved in arms smuggling, rituals, child trafficking and kidnapping too.
The source noted that Inspector Ogungbe was exposed to danger having discovered Alhaji Dangogo’s shady deal.
He said all efforts to seek redeployment away from the man by Inspector Ogungbe were not granted by Police authority which led to Ogungbe to demand for sick leave in August 2023.
The police source, who is one of the close colleagues to Inspector Ogungbe confided in our reporter that, Ogungbe had used the sick leave to travel out of the country and ever since, his whereabouts remain unknown.
For Corporal Danladi Adanu, our reporter gathered that, she deserted the force after many top brass within the police circle were harassing her sexually.
Investigation revealed that Danladi was threatened with being demoted if she refused to oblige to any of the top boss’s sexual advances.
Top of the list of absconded officers is, Insp. Zachary Jackson.
According to the source, Insp. Jackson, a detective posted from Kano state to the Ogun state Police command has also been missing from duty after six months posted to the command.
Another notable name among the absconded officers is Inspector Gambo Yohana, who previously served at the Sagamu Division. Recalled that Sagamu, a known hideout for notorious kidnappers in Ogun State.
In February 2023, Sagamu experienced significant security challenges involving kidnapping and cult-related violence, particularly along the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode Expressway.
Findings, however, revealed that many police officers rejected posting to the local government due to high crime rates in the area.
One prominent gang member, Udoma, was linked to the January 19, 2023 kidnapping of a journalist in the nearby Ijebu-Ode area, during which he sustained bullet injuries from a police rescue attempt.
Armed groups frequently set up roadblocks, sometimes using articulated trucks, to ambush commuters and march them into the forest for ransom.
On January 6th, 2023, Ogun State Police Command said it has arrested a seven-man gang that specialised in kidnapping and killing their victims after collecting ransom from their relatives.
The group, according to the Police Commissioner in the state, Abiodun Alamutu said two members of the gang, Chukwuma Bathlomew, aged 40, and Igwe Sunday, aged 42, were arrested and paraded last month, while 31-year-old Ifeanyi Mathias, Anayo Simeon, aged 28, and Ayo Adedayo, aged 46, were recently arrested.
Others were Chibueze Odah, aged 41; Ejiofor Nwali, aged 35; and 22-year-old Eke Peter, Monday Paul, aged 24, and 37-year-old Chukwuma Zainab.
Alamutu said, “On February 28, 2023, at about 1 a.m. in Ojowo area of Ijebu-Igbo, the armed men invaded the house of one Raheem Azeez and robbed him and his wife, Raheem Afolashade, of their valuables.”
He said, “The armed men later went to another house belonging to one Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ and shot him with a gun through the window before they have access to his house and robbed him of his POS machine, recharge cards, cash, and other valuables.
“The armed robbers left the victim in his pool of blood. Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ was later taken to Babcock University Hospital for medical attention, but he died on March 4, 2023, at the hospital. His corpse was deposited at the morgue for autopsy.”
The police signal revealed that investigation is currently undergoing to unravel why some of the officers abandoned their duties.
