Following the outcry that greeted the manhandling of an Uber driver, Mr Adedotun Clement, during the #EndSARSMemorial protest in the state on October 20, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency has sanctioned the indicted officers.
The Neighbourhood Watch officials were captured in a viral video assaulting and forcefully shoving the driver into a waiting Black Maria.
A statement issued by LNSA on Friday said the indicted officers were also spotted applying pepper spray, which was not part of the standard kit for officers, on the victim.
This is just as the agency claimed on Friday that the officials breached its rules “as contained in the LNSA Handbook Articles E (ii) & (iii), O (iv) and N (x)” and would be disciplined accordingly.
The agency said, “The two officers and the Supervising Officers were charged with disreputable conduct as a result of the assault on a member of the public, the use of pepper spray which is not a standard-issue kit for officers of the Agency and general unruly behaviours capable of breaching public peace all of which is in contempt of the Agency’s rules as contained in the LNSA Handbook Articles E (ii) & (iii), O (iv) and N (x) which covers conduct with the general public, negligence and general conduct on the job.
“Following the panel seating that lasted over four hours, the officers were found guilty of the charges preferred against them. Consequently, the two officers directly involved in the assault were publicly de-kitted and suspended from the Agency for the next two months. They are also to be redeployed to another command of the Agency for behavioural evaluation and further reprimand.
“In the same instance, the Commanding Superintendents and the Divisional Commander for Lagos Division of LNSC, under whose jurisdiction and command at the event were also suspended for one Month and their deputies are to act in their place until further notice: all with immediate effect.
“The Agency also use this medium to tender an unreserved apology to the general public and by the same apologise to Mr Clement Adedotun (the Uber Driver) for the conduct of the officers at the event as it places high premium on its relationship with the people who the Agency consider as its greatest asset.”
