In his resolve not to condone injustice, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has ordered the demotion in rank of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Ikenne Police Division of Ogun State, Mr. Patrick Onwu, for assaulting a female traffic warden.
The IG has also ordered the immediate transfer of the bully officer from Ogun state police command, even as he has ordered the Commissioner of Police to set up an investigative panel on the matter and report the findings to the force headquarters.
IGP Arase took it a step further by ordering the Commissioner of Police to forward the details of the accused senior police officer to the Force Secretary, Abuja, for further disciplinary actions.
Consequently, SUPOL Onwu has now been demoted to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP).
The former DPO, was said to have beaten up a female traffic warden, Inspector Anifat Bello, at her duty post at the NNPC junction, on IBB Boulevard way, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
IGP Arase, who got to know about the incident from media reports, was said to have immediately put a call to the State Police Commissioner and gave him the directives.
Relevant offices at force headquarters are monitoring the IGP’s directives to ensure strict compliance.
Police sources also said Arase commended the high level of discipline displayed by the female traffic warden who he said refused to fight back, saying the likes of Patrick Onwu, should not be in the police.
It would SUPOL Onwu allegedly went wild and descended on the female officer and beat her up for daring to stop his private vehicle, after violating traffic laws.
SUPOL Onwu, said to have been in mufti at the time of the incident, was alleged to have driven into a nearby filling station where he changed into his police uniform and went back to “deal” with the lady.