Zamfara State Police Command has warned that it would not accept the claim by the Chairman of the State Task Force on Security, Hon. Abubakar Mohammed Dauran that policemen were extorting money from motorists at filling stations.
The Command warned Dauran to operate within his schedule of duty and stop intruding into police activities.
According to a press statement issued to newsmen in Gusau, the State capital by the State’s Police spokesman, SP Mohammed Shehu, Hon. Dauran has no constitutional power to stop the police from going to filling stations to discharge their constitutional responsibility.
“Hon. Dauran should be mindful of the fact that he was appointed Special Adviser to the Governor on security because he was once a policeman. And he should not use his position to intimidate other police officers.
“Dauran had told newsmen on Tuesday in Gusau that some police officers were extorting money at filling stations in the name of enforcing security measures in the ongoing fuel scarcity in the State.
“He was even warning the police officers to desist from going to the filling stations, since they were not members of the taskforce committee,” he said.
The State Police spokesman said the command had not received any complaint of extortion from motorists against police officers in any filling station or any stakeholder in the petroleum sector in the State.
According to him, the Taskforce Committee, being chaired by Hon. Dauran had not at any time lodged a verbal or written complaint of any misconduct of police personnel at any filling station in the State.
He challenged Dauran to come up with proofs of his allegations so that the Commissioner of Police in the State would take appropriate measures against the police officers found wanting in the discharge of their duties.
“The Nigeria police Force is a leading agency in internal security, and it has the constitutional power to deploy its personnel anywhere to ensure security of lives and properties and to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
“Hon. Dauran like any other citizen, has the right to report any police misbehavior to relevant authorities for appropriate measure but has no constitutional power to stop the police operatives from doing their legitimate work,” he warned.
He vowed that any police officer caught in such act would never go unpunished.
He, however, urged members of the general public to disregard such public comment, saying that there was no truth in Dauran’s statement.
