By 
By Frank Oshanugor
Investigation within the Lagos State Police Command has revealed that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Denton Police Division, Adegoke Atilade, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) reportedly involved in controversy over stealing of his service pistol by his girlfriend, is what has been described as a “convertee” who is operationally unqualified to serve as a Divisional Police Officer in a State like Lagos.
Following the outbreak of the story on Friday, SECURITYREPORTERS.com decided to interview some senior police officers in the state and those who accepted to speak on the basis of anonymity on Friday afternoon posited that the explanation by Atilade as to his level of involvement, largely portrayed him as a police officer with unprofessional conduct.
Some of them who knew him personally, insisted that even though his rank is CSP, he was unsuitable professionally to take charge of a division as the DPO since over the years, he was not adequately exposed operationally to man a division. According to some of the officers, Atilade is a “convertee” which is explained to be a new entrant as a DPO.
They argued that authorities of the Lagos State Police Command are partly to blame as Atilade’s posting as DPO was not in the best interest of the Police Force because there were many senior and more experienced CSPs
in the state being under- utilized in certain positions that do not offer any challenge or tasking.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Friday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu; a Chief Superintendent of Police said “the Lagos Police Command is not oblivious of the reported case of theft of service pistol against one Jennifer Madueke and the allegation of sex in the office against DPO Denton Police Division, CSP Adegoke Atilade as published on pages 4 and 5 of today’s edition of the Punch.”
“In the interest of fairness and justice, the Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu has ordered an independent, thorough and unbiased investigation into the case.
“Members of the public are hereby assured that appropriate actions will be taken against any one found culpable at the conclusion of the ongoing investigation such that at the end, justice would have been served.”
In the interim, the Commissioner of Police has directed immediate redeployment of Atilade out of Denton so as to pave way for diligent and unbiased investigation.
It would be recalled that CSP Atilade had arrested Madueke who was his girlfriend for years before he was posted outside Lagos during which they lost contact for years.
They recently renewed their relationship when Atilade ran into her soon after he had become DPO in charge of Denton. According to the police officer, Madueke had kept visiting him until he found out that the visit was no longer of value to him and he asked her to stop coming. However, the lady had course to visit Atilade once again during which she reportedly passed the night in his office with another girl friend of the police officer.
The DPO was soon to discover that his service pistol and the sum of N50,000 were missing from his office and he suspected Madueke. Few days later, he was moved to arrange her arrest after some herbalist and Alfas had convinced him through spiritual powers that Madueke truly stole the pistol.
After arresting the lady with the allegation that she stole his pistol and money, the DPO ordered her detention and subsequent transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti where he reported the case of stealing of his pistol against his one time lover.
Though, the matter is under investigation but some of Atilade’s police colleagues have condemned his action of turning his office into a sex centre even though he has continued to deny ever having sex with Madueke in the office.
The officers have also berated his “infantile” step of officially reporting the theft of his service pistol to SCID when he ought to have quietly and discreetly handled the matter at his division where “he is the Chief armourer.”
Comments