The Ekiti State Police Commissioner, Mr. Babatunde Mobayo, has defended the dismissal of a police constable, Miss Olajide Omolola, who got pregnant in alleged flagrant violation of the Police Rules and Regulation.
Omolola, who was attached to the Iye Ekiti Police Station in Ilejemeje area of Ekiti State, was dismissed last week by police authority, for getting pregnant barely a year after graduating from the police academy.
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, the Police Commissioner, said Omolola violated section 127 of the police regulation, which carries serious punitive measures against flouters.
Mobayo stated that the rule and regulation were unambiguous that a woman police must undergo post training experience on the field for at least two years before marriage and three years before childbearing.
Mobayo said: “In police organisation, we have rules and regulations, which are being carried out within the ambit of the constitution. Police officers are not even allowed to keep their children that are above 18 years of age in the barracks. Some of these laws were taught in the police colleges before we graduated.
“These laws have been there. Some stipulated the number of years you must spend before you get married. If you are in Police College, you are not supposed to get pregnant. When you pass out, you still need basic trainings and for your attention not to be distracted, you must spend certain minimum period before you get married for you to perform efficiently.
“The lady in question passed out in May 2020, which is eight months ago and now she is with six months pregnancy. The Police Act 2020, which is undergoing amendment in the Senate, has not repealed that. She has contravened Section 127 of the police regulation.
“Section 126 of the regulation states that a married woman police who is pregnant may be granted maternity leave, while Section 127 says an unmarried woman police who becomes pregnant shall be discharged from the Force and shall not be enlisted except with the approval of the IGP.
“According to him, the feeling that her fundamental human rights has been trampled upon is not true. The regulation is still in place.” Contrary to the widespread belief that the regulation has been expunged, Mobayo maintained the Police Amendment Bill 2019, which was sponsored by Senator Uzenwa Onyebuchi on the Senate floor has not been passed, saying it has only got to the second reading.
“The amendment being sought has not been done neither has the bill been assented to by the President. It has just been referred to the Senate Committee on Police Affairs for further scrutiny. Aside the foregoing, the amended Police Act is different from police regulation,” Mobayo clarified.
Speaking further, the Police Commissioner stated that he had been a commandant in one of the police colleges before becoming a CP, saying he handled several cases akin to this with victims dismissed, having flouted the law, saying this could not have been treated as an exemption.
“I felt for that lady, though I never saw her before. We saw the medical report and we did due diligence on her case. We can’t shy away from the oath of office we took, but the IGP can still reverse whatever we do on the field.
“About 300 policewomen were graduated here last year. How would the public feel if they see all of them pregnant in less than a year? It will look ridiculous. We are not the drafters of the rules, we met them there. All these disciplinary actions are what made us to be able to control our men. No Police Constable is underaged and they should be able to know what to do not to get pregnant within the time prohibited by regulation.”
