NEWS
Disciplinary Shake-Up: PSC Dismisses 18 Senior Officers, Demotes 19 Others
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has dismissed 18 senior police officers and demoted 19 others as part of a wide-ranging disciplinary review.
The dismissed officers include 10 Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs), four Deputy Superintendents (DSPs), two Chief Superintendents (CSPs), and one Superintendent (SP).
The PSC also approved the reduction in ranks of 19 officers, including one Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), one CSP, two SPs, two DSPs, and 13 ASPs.
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These decisions were announced in a statement on Friday by PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani, following the Commission’s Plenary Meeting in Abuja.
Ani revealed that the PSC reviewed 110 pending disciplinary cases, 23 appeals and petitions, and 13 court judgments requiring compliance.
“Most of the officers dismissed are also to be prosecuted by the Legal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force,” Ani said. He added that three cases were deferred, pending further clarification from the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
In addition to the dismissals and demotions, other officers received penalties such as severe reprimands, reprimands, and warning letters.
The Plenary Meeting, chaired by PSC Chairman DIG Hashimu Argungu (Rtd), also included the participation of DIG Taiwo Lakanu (Rtd) and the Commission’s Secretary, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani.
DIG Argungu stressed the Commission’s commitment to resolving disciplinary issues swiftly, ensuring that officers not found guilty can advance their careers while those culpable face appropriate sanctions.
“The Commission will henceforth consider police disciplinary matters with dispatch so as to free Police Officers who are not found wanting to continue with their career progression and those found culpable to serve their punishments,” Argungu said.
He warned officers against engaging in civil disputes, such as land, marital, and rent-related issues, urging them to focus on criminal matters.
“The courts should be allowed to do their duties, while the Police should pay more attention to criminal matters and threats to life,” he added.
The PSC also confirmed it had recently approved several promotions for deserving officers, with implementation directives sent to the IGP.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, shaking the region and sending tremors as far as Thailand and China.
The quake’s epicenter was located in the Sagaing region, near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, home to around one million people and renowned for its historic temple complexes.
Panic erupted as buildings swayed and dust filled the air.
READ ALSO: Powerful 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits China, Dozens Killed
In Mandalay, videos shared online showed terrified residents rushing out of residential towers while traffic came to a sudden halt.
Reports indicate that a major bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River collapsed into the water in a cloud of dust and debris.
The quake was felt as far as Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, where video footage showed a partially constructed building in Chatuchak Park crumbling to the ground.
Thai authorities reported that 43 people were trapped in the wreckage, while seven others sustained injuries.
In Chiang Mai, a resident described feeling the tremors for about ten seconds before fleeing into the streets.
In Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon—about 380 miles from the epicenter—residents also experienced the powerful shaking.
One resident recalled, “We felt the quake for about a minute, then ran out of the building.
It was very sudden and very strong.” Another noted that phone networks in the city, home to around 8 million people, briefly went down but were later restored.
Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, is already grappling with the effects of a brutal civil war sparked by a military coup over four years ago.
The conflict has devastated the economy, and the country remains ill-equipped to handle a major natural disaster of this scale.
The Sagaing region, where the earthquake struck, is a war zone with multiple factions—including the ruling junta, pro-military militias, and rebel groups—fighting for control.
The ongoing violence has made travel by road or river extremely dangerous, posing significant challenges to delivering emergency aid and assessing the full extent of the damage.
Tremors were also felt in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, underscoring the quake’s intensity.
Authorities across the region are now assessing the situation, with emergency teams mobilizing in both Myanmar and Thailand.
A fire outbreak in the early hours of Friday morning has gutted buildings on Ifejika Street, by Sokoto Road, Onitsha, prompting swift intervention from the Anambra State Fire Service.
The inferno, which reportedly started in one of the buildings at about 6:20 a.m., quickly spread to an adjacent structure, causing panic among residents and business owners in the area.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown at the time of this report.
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Eyewitnesses say residents and passersby joined forces with the firefighters in an attempt to salvage goods and properties from the affected buildings.
The head of the Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, confirmed the incident in a brief statement.
“Anambra State Fire Service is currently on intervention at the scene of the fire outbreak at Ifejika Street, by Sokoto Road, Onitsha. The distress call came at 6:20 a.m. today, and our firefighters deployed immediately. The public is advised to remain calm as the situation is under control,” Chiketa said.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to completely extinguish the fire were still ongoing.
Authorities are yet to determine the extent of the damage and the possible cause of the outbreak.
More details to follow………
Following gradual return to normalcy, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has directed immediate relaxation of the 24-hour curfew to 17 hours from Friday March 28, 2025.
This was divulged in a statement in Osogbo on Friday by the Spokesperson to the State Governor, Olawale Rasheed, who added that henceforth, the curfew would commence at 2pm and terminate at 7am the following day.
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Rasheed added that his principal made the decision to alleviate the suffering of residents of the three towns and provide an opportunity for them to attend to their immediate needs.
Gov Adeleke commended the cessation of hostility so far. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the report of another killing for which the police have made an arrest, warning that “anybody or group of persons, found or caught masterminding any violent act will face the full consequences”
Consequently, Gov Adeleke tasked the joint security taskforce to maintain their usual 24-hour surveillance to ensure zero tolerance for any act of lawlessness.
Additionally, he directed the state emergency agency to intensify the support services for the displaced people as earlier directed.
Massive 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Myanmar, Shakes Southeast Asia
Egypt Named Host Of 2025 U-20 AFCON As Côte d’Ivoire Withdraws
Fire Guts Buildings In Onitsha As Fire Service Intervenes
Ifon-Ilobu-Erin Conflict: Adeleke Reviews Curfew To 17 Hours Daily
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