CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh, has reiterated the directive issued by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, regarding the indiscriminate transfer of cases without written approval by the IGP.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that CP Jimoh stated this during his courtesy visit to Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) on Friday at the CRAN Secretariat in GRA, Ikeja.
He stated: “There is a complete stop to indiscriminate transfers of cases. Such conduct is strictly prohibited and will no longer be tolerated, as it places unnecessary burdens on the parties involved and delays justice.”
He expressed his discontent with the practice of transferring cases from one Police station to another without proper protocol.
“The IGP has directed a complete stop to indiscriminate transfers. If you are investigating a case at a lower level and another authority at a higher level requests a transfer, you cannot just demand it. “First, if there are any complaints, you should request the duplicate case file. The department investigating the case at the lower level will send you the duplicate file for your review. If, upon examination, you find that there are gaps or grey areas that the lower authority has not addressed, you must write a letter requesting approval for the transfer. This represents a full stop to such actions, because many of the matters we deal with involve significant stakes.”
CP Jimoh also highlighted how indiscriminate case transfers negatively affect investigations and prosecutions within the courts. He pointed out that valuable time is wasted when cases are transferred between Police stations.
“The time that should have been used to conclude investigations is lost, and investigation is our primary responsibility. Investigation is a scientific approach aimed at placing the suspect or the accused at the scene of the crime. That is the essence of investigation.” he stated.
