45 Officers who arrested billionaire kidnapper, Evans get special promotion by Police Service Commision

Yesterday, the Police Service Commission (PSC) said that 45 officers who participated in the successful arrest of notorious kidnap kingpin, Evans, have been granted special promotion.

 A statement by Ikechukwu Ani, a spokesperson for the PSC, said the promotions were ratified yesterday at a plenary presided over by Mike Okiro, chairman of the commission.

Thirteen of the officers were promoted in acting capacity because they weren’t eligible for substantive promotion, the PSC said. The promotions come a year after Evans was arrested in Lagos alongside over 20 suspected members of his gang. The police have been widely hailed for the operation, which has been described as one of their highest points in recent years. The statement read:

"The Police Service Commission has approved special promotion of forty five police officers and acting appointments for another 13 officers who played major roles in the arrest of Chukwudumuje Onuoamadike, aka Evans, a notorious kidnapper and 21 Members of his gang.

The commission took the decision today, Thursday, April 19th, 2018, at its 27th Plenary Meeting which began in Abuja on Tuesday, April 17th, 2018 and presided over by the Chairman of the commission, Sir Dr. Mike Mbama Okiro, a retired Inspector General of Police. The promotion and acting appointments were based on the superlative performance of the officers in the arrest of the deadly gang who terrorized Nigerians.

The officers are of the Intelligence Response Team, (IRT), Special Tactical Squad (STS) and Technical Intelligence Unit under the direct supervision and coordination of the IGP Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters Abuja. "The promotion and acting appointments were also necessitated by the need to match rank with schedules of duty either being performed or to be performed by the officers and for their acts of gallantry and courage exhibited in the course of duty.