Two police corporals attached to the Ojo Police Station, Lagos State, have been demoted after they beat up their superior, identified as Inspector Thank- God. The corporals, identified simply as Dajuma and Charles, were demoted to constables after orderly room trial and moved to Police Command Headquarters, to man the gate.

Trouble started after the inspector ordered Dajuma to book somebody for misconduct.

Dajuma allegedly refused to obey; rather he started hurling insults at the inspector. The inspector drew the attention of Charles to the fact that Dajuma was insulting him. But Charles, for reasons yet unknown, also joined in insulting the inspector.

The quarrel snowballed into fisticuffs, with both corporals teaming up to beat the inspector. When the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), got wind of the incident, he transferred three of them to Provost Office, Command. Dajuma insisted that it was the inspector who first hit him. Charles buttressed Dajuma’s allegation. The provost tried them and found them guilty.

They were demoted to constables and posted to Command’s gate.

They were instructed to always be in uniform, so that their mates would see them. They are presently under the supervision of the Command’s Provost. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmus, said there was no iota of truth in the incident.

But a police source working with Provost Office said: “The little I know is that the two corporals were recommended to be demoted and kept on standby for now. But the provost is saying that they might not be heard that the inspector was always highhanded with them.”