On August 1, 2016, Sergeant Amos Olaniyan would have retired from the Nigeria Police having joined the force in 1981. But the Osun State indigene has spent 28 out of his 35 years in service fighting over his wrongful verbally suspension by his superior officer.
Narrating his ordeal to Encounter, Mr. Olaniyan said his problem started in 1994 when he was posted on official patrol duty along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by the Ogun State Police Command with four other police officers, late Inspector David Oloyede, late Sergeant Joseph Akaah, Corporal David Okhuarobo and Supol Abiodun Asabi who was the team leader.
He said: “I was enlisted into the Nigeria Police on August 1, 1981 and trained at Police College, Ikeja, Lagos State. I rose to the rank of a Sergeant on September 1, 1993 and on October 11, 1994 I was posted on official patrol duty with four others. While performing our duty along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, we had a flat tyre without spare. A good Samaritan who recognized our team leader stopped to ask what the problem was and after explanation he gave him N1,250 to purchase a fairly used tyre for the patrol vehicle.
Accosted by late Abubakar Tsav
Continuing, He said: “About an hour later, the then Commissioner of Police, Oyo State, late Abubakar Tsav who was traveling to Lagos for a meeting, saw us, stopped and demanded to know our mission on the road. He instructed his aids to search every member of our team and nothing was found on us. They proceeded to search our patrol vehicle where the N1,250 given to our team leader was found. Despite our team leader’s explanation, Tsav collected the money and headed to Lagos where he met the then Ogun State Police Commissioner, John Okafor and handed over the money to him.
Summoned by Ogun CP
Three months after the incident, Olaniyan said CP Okafor summoned him and his colleagues for interrogation over the road incident and money found in their patrol vehicle. According to him, before ordering their Orderly Room trial, the CP placed the four team members on verbal suspension with the exception of the team leader Asabe.
Report of Orderly Room Trial
Months after its sitting, the Orderly Room panel headed by the then Provost Marshal Zone 2, Mr. M.A Yusuf exonerated Olaniyan and his four colleagues and ordered that the N1,250 found on them be returned to the Police Reward Fund. Part of the Orderly Room report sighted by Encounter reads:
“Their accusers failed to give evidence as per the state of recovery of the money i.e. whether the money was squeezed or not. The exhibit (money) tendered before me are neatly packed and in different denominations stated in the evidence of the giver of the money. They were – duty bound to do stop-and-search on suspected vehicles. Hence, seeing them check vehicles did not amount to illegal duty, as they were duly posted on anti-robbery patrol.
“Had it been they were corrupt men, they would have been found extorting money. It amounts to witch-hunting for the CP, Oyo State to have ordered the search of their vehicle after recovering nothing from them when they were searched. It should be noted that this incident occurred on October 11, 1994 and as per Police Regulation 368(8) (9), this Orderly Room proceeding should have been completed long time ago. Hence, in view of available evidence before me, it will amount to injustice to find these policemen and their team leader, Abiodun ‘Asabi (ASP) guilty while the contrary was the case. I found them not guilty as charged and they are hereby discharged and acquitted.”
Suspicion
Olaniyan who was among the police officers that arrested the first gang of late notorious criminal, Lawrence Anini in Benin, Edo State said he suspects that his ordeal may be connected to the suspension of a CP who was then serving in Benin City when a Senior Officer, CSP Iyanmu was convicted and executed for aiding the criminal gang. “I was among the officers that arrested the first gang of Anini in Benin. After the arrest, CSP Iyanmu was arrested, convicted and executed. A CP who was then serving in Benin was also placed on suspension during investigation. He was later reinstated after Iyanmu was executed. This was in 1986. So when in 1994, our matter came before the CP Ogun State and he was reminded that my 2ice was among those that investigated a CP, back then, he immediately verbally ordered our suspension.”
Orderly Room Verdict snubbed
Despite being exonerated by Police Orderly Room trial, the Ogun State Police Command refused to rescind the verbal suspension placed on Olaniyan and his colleagues. On many occasions, when Olaniyan reported to duty, he was told that his suspension had not been lifted. To further compound Olaniyan’s ordeal, his salary was also stopped leaving him with nothing to feed his wife and four children. “It was really a very difficult time for me. I tried to return back to work, but was told my suspension was still on despite my vindication. I thought it was a joke but as the situation persisted for years, then the reality began to dawn on me. Taking care of my family became a big problem and I had to resort to doing menial jobs to take care of my family,” he told Encounter.
Sought Ex-President Obasanjo’s Intervention
Olaniyan told Encounter that when all other avenues to make the Police reinstate him failed, between 1999 to 2008, he wrote several letters to then President Olusegun Obasanjo for intervention but that none of the letters was replied. “I wrote Baba Obasanjo over my matter when he was president, but he never responded. I also went through a close family member to him, but each time I was told that he was not willing to intervene on my matter,’ he told Encounter. “ I also wrote the then Senate President, David Mark over my predicament but nothing came out of it, “ he added.
Ex-President Yar’Adua Intervenes
When late Musa Yar’ Adua became President in 2008, Olaniyan renewed his quest for justice and wrote the president seeking his intervention. Unlike other failed efforts, President Yar’Adua responded to his letter and instructed the then Inspector General of Police, to look into his case. After several months of waiting for the IGP response to the president’s instruction, Olaniyan resigned to faith believing that if a president’s instruction can be ignored by the IGP, nothing can be done about his case.
Prof Sagay’s Appeal
In 2011, legal luminary, Prof Itse Sagay wrote a passionate appeal to then IGP, Hafiz Ringim demanding that Olaniyan be reinstated insisting that the matter was a clear case of miscarriage of justice and an attempt to punish an innocent man by default. Sagay pointed out to Ringim in the letter dated October 17, 2011 that the suspension of Olaniyan had “completely devastated and turned his life into a permanent nightmare.” Sagay’s appeal fell on deaf ears as the IGP never responded to his letter.
8th Senate Intervenes
In 2015, Olaniyan renewed his struggle again and approached the Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District, Solomon Adeola for intervention. Following Senator Adeola’s effort, Olaniyan case was listed for hearing by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition. After the hearing of the matter on October 22, 2015, with police representative in attendance, the Senate Committee issued its finding on October 10, 2015 exonerating Olaniyan of any wrong doing and ordered the Police to reinstate him. The committee report signed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu sighted by Encounter reads in part: “Having given consideration to all aspects of the matter, the trouble and pain the appellant had gone through, the committee recommends as follows; That the officer, Sgt Amos Olaniyan be fully re-integrated into the Police Force with a letter of re-instatement and apology; that all his dues including promotions and entitlement be fully granted and paid.”
Partial Compliance by Police
On February 26, 2016 the Police partially complied with the Senate directive but instead of reinstating, promoting and paying all Olaniyan’s entitlements, the Police retired him from service without paying any of his entitlement. Olaniyan told Encounter that he was not satisfied with the conditions of his reinstatement by the Police and promptly rejected the letter. “I was surprised by the conditions of my reinstatement by the police. Instead of reinstating me on the conditions stated by the NASS, I was retired ‘notionally’ without any payment or promotion. I don’t understand what they meant by ‘reinstated notionally’, so I was adviced to reject the letter. In 2017, Senator Adeola again raised an alarm in the Senate that the Police was yet to comply with the recommendation of NASS committee on the issue. Since then, the matter has remained in limbo as the Police authority refused to fully reinstate Olaniyan.
Writes UN, President Biden
Last year, Olaniyan took his case to the United Nations via a letter to the Secretary General of the organization, Antonio Guterress seeking intervention on his case. He also wrote a similar letter to the President Joe Biden. On why he wrote the two letters, Olaniyan said: “My thinking is that if I cannot get justice in Nigeria, maybe other foreign bodies may be able to intervene on my behalf.”
28 years of suffering
Narrating the suffering he has passed through in the last 28 years of seeking justice, Olaniyan said: “The last 28 years has been hell for me. At the beginning, taking care of my family was my immediate challenge. I had to do all manners of jobs just to provide for my four children and wife. On several occasions, my very bright children had to drop out of school because I couldn’t pay their school fees. Some years ago, my only son attempted to commit suicide in school. It took the grace of God to restore him back to life. When my wife couldn’t bear the hardship, she had to abandon me and the children. Sometime ago, I developed stroke and it took the assistance of good neighbors before I could get medical help.”
Regrets, Appeal
Reflecting on his ordeal, Olaniyan told Encounter that it is often painful for him to imagine that after his dedication to serving his country, the system is treating him unjustly. He said: “I have served in most part of this country very meritoriously without any blemish on my record. If I am being treated this way by the Police, I wonder how other officers who are privy to my case will feel. I don’t regret joining the Police but I can assure you that this kind of injustice being meted to me can discourage any good person willing to give his best to the country. All I want is justice and to be properly reinstated, promoted and given all my entitlements. This is my appeal to the police authorities and anyone out there who can help me. Continue Reading
