Francis Ani, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Onipanu Police Station, Lagos, who detained Tunde Abass illegally, has been redeployed for his unprofessional conduct.

FIJ had reported how Tunde was detained and tortured for filming a policeman harassing a citizen at Onipanu area of Lagos. He was released on Tuesday battered and bruised, following public uproar on social media.

However, the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) of the Nigeria Police Force announced on Thursday morning that CSP Francis had been redeployed after proper investigation on the allegation of misconduct levelled against him. 

READ ALSO: For Filming a Policeman Harassing a Man in Lagos, Tunde Abass is Being ‘Detained and Tortured’ at Onipanu Police Station

“The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered for immediate redeployment of CSP Francis Ani, the Divisional Police Officer, Onipanu Division of the Lagos State Police Command and some of his boys for the harassment and illegal detention of Tunde Abass and one Kabir Mohammed at Onipanu on Friday, 19th March, 2021,” CRU said, via Twitter.

“The Commissioner of Police has therefore condemned such act of unprofessionalism and excessive use of power to send a signal to the whole world that the command will not, for whatever reason, condone such act; and to serve as deterrent to other policemen who are fond of harassing, extorting and engaging in acts of lawlessness, unprofessionalism and gross violation of people’s human rights in the state.

“CP Hakeem Odumosu has also ordered that the concerned policemen in the unprofessional act be tried in an orderly room in order to award punishments accordingly, while the Dpo be redeployed to the State Command Headquarters, Ikeja.”

Nevertheless, Nigerians have condemned this development on social media, stressing that justice is not properly served.

Commenting on the CRU post, Segun Onibiyo, a Twitter user, said: “How does redeployment amount to punishment and deterrent to others like him? I have said that the problem of @PoliceNG is the police itself. A country of no consequence for action is doomed to die.”

Another Twitter user, simply called Bemurz, said: “That’s no justice, justice is making the police officers involved duly pay for the inhumane crime committed against a fellow citizens in accordance with the constitution, alas @PoliceNG is passing a strong message they are the opposite of what they stand for.”

El-Camarada, yet another Twitter user, wondered why the police officer would be transferred to the state headquarters as a way of punishing him. “Is redeployment to the HEADQUARTERS a punishment?” he asked.