The Nigerian Police has denied reports of an alleged swap of suspects in place of the actual culprits involved in a murder case in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State.
The force in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh O. Moshood, on Saturday described the report which it said was published in a national daily as incorrect and misleading.
According to the statement, the report also went ahead to state how the Police DIG charged the family of the deceased to court and how the allegedly swapped suspects sought N250m as compensation.
The Force said the cases involving land grabbing, murder and massive destruction of property had been investigated by the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) and eventually charged to court, after which the cases were referred to the Directorate of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, Lagos State for Legal Advice.
Furthermore, the Police described the report as one capable of damaging its image, hence the need to clear the air on the matter although it was already in court.
“All the suspects indicted in the two cases were charged to court and remanded to prison custody. There was no swap of any suspect by the DIG as erroneously and maliciously claimed by the writer.
“Police actions in the two cases were in good faith to ensure that justice prevails.”
“The Force therefore, sees the two Newspaper reports as deliberate attempts to cast aspersions on the discreet investigation carried out by the Nigeria Police Force to pervert the end justice, as the purported Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) advice quoted in the publications has not been received by the Nigeria Police Force.
“While the Police will continue to abide by verdicts and pronouncements from court on these matters, the parties involved and the media are implored to allow the proceedings in court to be fully exhausted and not embark on campaign of calumny against the Nigeria Police Force and its officers,” the statement read in part.
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