Acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has ordered the immediate disbandment of the IGP Monitoring Units in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Baba gave the order in Abuja, on Thursday, at the opening of a conference of Police Strategic Commanders, consisting of officers with the rank of Commissioner of Police and above.
The acting IGP also ordered the streamlining of the personnel profile of the IGP Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters to not more than 50 operatives.
Baba announced the banning of the unit from undertaking criminal investigations, including taking over of cases from Police Commands in states.
He said under the current dispensation, the unit will only operate within their original mandate, which is to investigate complaints of alleged professional misconduct against serving officers.
The acting IGP said the directives were in furtherance to the reorganisation plans of the force and its commitment to return to the basics in policing.
He said the repositioning initiatives were being worked out in relation to other ad-hoc investigative units in the force.
Baba said the idea was to restore professionalism, address citizens’ concerns on rights abuses resulting from the existence and operations of the ad-hoc investigation units.
He said it was also to discourage duplication of police functions that encouraged indiscipline and abuse of police processes.