Zone 13 of the Nigeria Police Force, Ukpo, Anambra State, has disowned a police inspector, identified as Inspector James, who is alleged to have unduly exploited some parties from Enugu State in a land matter.
The PSC, in a statement by Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of the PSC Press and Public Relations Department, had last week, said the Commission received a petition addressed to its Chairman, DIG Hashimu Argungu, captioned “Complaints of Disregard to Judicial Process: Abuse of Power; Intimidation and Harassment against Inspector James of Zone13, Nigeria Police Force, Ukpo Command.
The petition was from the Members of the Umu Ukwueze Family, Umudikwu, and Ihe Nsukka from Agbo & Agbo & Associates and was signed by C.S Agbo, Esq. of Divine Chambers.
Reacting to the statement, the Zone 13 Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Ihunwo, said that the Command received the petition, stating that they are always in compliance with the directives of the PSC and maintain so.
She said the officers who continue to disregard directives and in flagrant disobedience to the continued warnings of the PSC on the involvement of officers in civil rights violations, land, and civil matters are doing so at their peril.
“Recently, the commission on 22nd February 2025, through its Press and Public Relations Head, released a publication with regards to complaints concerning human rights infringements coming from the Police in the Southeast States, and warned against the involvement of officers in such unprofessional behaviour, with a directive for officers to quit from such practices of getting involved in Land matters, debt and rent collection, marital disputes, and other civil matters.
“Against this backdrop, the Zonal Command, despite several other lectures and warnings to officers under the Command, held a lecture for all personnel on the subject and has continued to do so regularly in keeping with the directives of IGP.
“It is only disturbing to learn that officers, despite the series of lectures and warnings, continue to behave in such an unprofessional manner, thereby dragging the name of the Zonal Headquarters in bad light,” Ihunwo regretted.
She maintained that the Zonal Command is not at any time in support of officers who do not work within the approved boundaries of their professional duties, get involved in civil disputes, or totally disobey several warnings from the Service Commission.
Ihunwo revealed that a team of the IGP X-SQUAD has been detailed to look into the complaint in question and revert with a report, as the said Inspector James is under investigation, adding that the development from the inquiry will be made available once the investigation is concluded.
She said, “Furthermore, members of the public who are aggrieved in the course of their dealings with officers of the Zonal Command, are please encouraged to bring such unjust or unprofessional treatment to the attention of the Zone, through the office of the Zonal Public Relations Officer (ZPPRO) CSP Ihunwo Josephine, the Zonal Public Complaint Bureau (ZPCB) or the Zonal Complaint Response Unit (ZCRU) offices, located in the Zone13 Zonal Headquarters Ukpo, for redress.
“The Command is committed to ensuring that the rights of every member of the public are preserved, respected, and protected in line with international best practices of Policing standards and Human Rights laws.”
