INTEGRITY: Nigeria Police Service Commission promotes officer, who rejected $200,000, to rank of ACP, with N1m

*Officer Amah lucky to work under President, Police Commission, IGP that value integrity, loyalty – Nigerians

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

In furtherance to his national honour by President Muhammadu Buhari recently, CSP Daniel Itse Amah, DPO Bompai Division Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, who rejected $200,000 bribe while on duty of protecting lives and property under Kano State Police Command, has been given a special promotion by Police Service Commission (PSC).

Amah, by that singular announcement of PSC, is now promoted and will until further promotion be addressed Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), The DEFENDER reports.

The new ACP, who was recently honoured with the 2022 Public Service Integrity Award by President Buhari during the fourth National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector convoked by the Independent Corruption Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), was also awarded the sum of N1 million by the PSC as part of an encouragement for maintaining the integrity of the Nigerian Police.

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission and retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, while announcing the promotion and cash appreciation of the fine officer, said Amah represents the integrity and good character of a deserving police officer.

She also said the reward and special promotion would serve as a morale booster for all police officers to keep doing the right thing always.

“On 24th April 2022, a matter was reported to him that a suspect, one Mr. Ali Zaki convinced Bureau De Change Operators that he has $750,000 which he could sell to them at the rate of N430 to give him the equivalent N322,500,000.

“After a bank staff confirmed the availability of the money at the bank to the victim, the transaction took place. However, the suspect arranged with armed robbers to track and rob the victims while they were transporting the money.

“When the matter was reported to the Police Division in Kano State where SP Daniel Amah was the DPO, they commenced investigations. In the course of the investigation, they traced the principal suspect, Mr Zaki who offered $200,000 to the SP to kill the case, through a bank staff.

“The offer was rejected, the bank staff was promptly arrested which led to the arrest of the suspect. The $200,000 was recovered and registered as an exhibit”, Chairman said.

The ICPC had also in October this year honoured CSP Amah with the 2022 Public Service Integrity Award.

The ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), described CSP Amah as a distinguished public servant who, against all odds, refused to be corrupted and compromised.

“We are particularly delighted that the Awardee is from the Nigeria Police, an institution often much derided, maligned and under-appreciated.

“In 2021, one of the Public Service Integrity Awardees was a police officer. We commend the Inspector General of Police for producing these beacons of light in a desert of despair,” Prof. Owasanoye had stated during the fourth National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

The newly promoted ACP, Daniel Itse Amah, is an indigene of Jos East, Plateau State, who joined the Nigerian Police Force as a Cadet Inspector in 2002.

He is currently serving as a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Bompai Police Station in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

Amused by the prompt appreciation of Amah’s practicalised integrity and display of unalloyed loyalty to the nation through commitment to true policing, several Nigerian respondents have said the officer was lucky to work in a country governed by President, Muhammadu Buhari, Police Service Commission and a Nigerian Police Force boss, Usman Alkali Baba, the duo of who value integrity and loyalty in public service.