Police Declares Amaechi's ADC A Deserter, Strips Him Of His Position

Rivers State Police on Monday in Port Harcourt declared the ADC to Gov. Chibuike Amaechi, ASP Seimeikumo Debewari, a deserter from the force.

This was made known in a statement issued by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Administration, Mr Augustine Sanomi. He said that Debewari had ceased to be the ADC to the governor with immediate effect.

According to Sanomi, the officer ignored all lawful directives to see the state commissioner of police and the Inspector-General of Police since July 10 over his role in the fracas at the state House of Assembly and his whereabouts is currently unknown to the police.

"The commissioner of police acted on the Police Act and the Regulation Cap of the Federation of Nigeria 1990,'' he said. Sanomi also said the Inspector-General of Police had approved the desertion of Debewari from the force.

Mr Frank Mba, (CSP), Nigeria Police Public Relations Officer says if a police officer leaves his duty post for 21 consecutive days, without permission, police act and regulation authorise the force to declare the officer a deserter.

According to Mba, "being a deserter is an offence because the officer involved can be arrested without a warrant of arrest''. Mba also said that it was within the purview of a state commissioner of police to declare an officer a deserter in the force if he committed the offence.