Following complaints and allegations of sleight of hand in the promotion of police officers, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, has set up a Special Investigation Panel to investigate the alleged corruption in the ongoing police promotion exercise in the force. The panel has two weeks to submit its reports.

The setting up of the panel followed complaints and allegations credited to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Isah Misau, that some police personnel informed him that they paid huge bribes for promotion.

Also, a legal practitioner, Pelumi Olajengbesi, stated last week that about 72 police officers complained to him that they were skipped in the promotion exercise, noting that the exercise was tainted with corruption and favoritism.

The Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, Jimoh Moshood, disclosed in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja that the panel had invited Misau to a meeting to provide more details on his allegations.

“The Special Investigation Panel has, consequently, upon the directive of the IG, invited Senator Misau to a meeting to shed more light and provide more details that will assist them to conduct a very discreet investigation into his complaints and allegations, and those of other aggrieved police officers,” the statement said.

The panel’s terms of reference were: to investigate the complaints from Misau on allegations that police officers paid bribe for special promotion; investigate other complaints, petitions and grievances from police officers and from other members of the public on allegations of offering bribes for promotion.

Others include: to determine the substance of the complaints and grievances from aggrieved policemen and members of the public on allegations of giving money for special promotion; determine those who were involved and recommend appropriate judicial action and other punishments, in line with the provisions of Public Service Rules Section 030401 (j) (k) and other statutory enabling laws/Acts.