Group knocks police for detaining female officer over resignation

A group advocating for workers’ rights has “condemned” the Lagos State Police Command for detaining a female police officer over her resignation.

Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) in a statement on Friday signed by its chairman and spokesperson, Rufus Olusesan and Chinedu Bosah respectively, demanded the unconditional release of the female corporal.

Fauzziyah Isiak, who works in the administrative department of the police “absconded” from work after sending her resignation letter, the police said.

However, according to her, she has been trying to resign from the police since 2022 but her letters were not approved.

She was invited to the police command headquarters on Wednesday and subsequently detained.

Group

CDWR described her arrest as “undemocratic.”

“According to Fauzziyar Isiak, she had shown interest to resign since last year but the Lagos State Police Command had consistently blocked her by refusing to approve her resignation and issue her discharge certificate,” the statement reads.

“Fauzziyar Isiak narrated her ordeal through her Twitter handle and the Lagos Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin has confirmed the undemocratic arrest and detention through his response by stating that the Police is not like the private sector and that until a policeman or policewoman gets his or her discharge certificate, he or she stays in the Police Force in spite of showing interest to resign.

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“This bureaucracy amounts to undemocratically keeping an unwilling officer in the Force.”

The group further said that the administrative process of discharging police officers who want to willingly leave the Force “has been weaponized to keep them in the police force against their will, something which is tantamount to imprisonment.

“Any rule that allows people to be kept by force in the Police Force is condemnable. In other words, it is despotic and a violation of fundamental human rights.”

The group demands that the officer be freed and her discharge certificate issued without further delay.

“We also demand that rank-and-file police officers be allowed to belong to a police union as a means to defend their democratic rights and better working conditions,” the statement reads.

“We call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and pro-masses organisations to intervene in the ongoing attacks on the democratic rights of Fauzziyar Isiak so as to regain her freedom.”