A corporal with the Nigeria Police Force, Fauzziyah Isiak, was detained after submitting her resignation letter. Isiak said she was called into the office and detained even after disclosing she was on her period. Isiak revealed that she had been trying to resign from the police since last year but to no avail.
Isiak’s ordeal was shared on social media, where she decried the treatment she received for wanting to resign. According to her tweet, she was held in detention without interrogation, after being called in to meet the Deputy Commissioner for an interview. She said she thought they were going to approve her resignation, but instead was told that she should be detained to be tried and dismissed.
Isiak, who has been working for six years, was in the administrative department of the Nigeria Police. Prior to her detention, she attempted to resign from the force due to her passion for beekeeping, which she decided to pursue as a career.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, replied to her accusations, stating that her claims were misleading and that everyone knows the process of resignation from the police force. Adejobi explained that writing a resignation letter through the Divisional Police Officer, the Area Commander, and up to the Inspector General of Police is the prescribed process. If the resignation is urgent, he explained that the officer should make a payment equal to three months of their salary to be paid directly to the government’s purse, with proof of payment.
Reacting to the officer’s tweets on the matter, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that resigning from the Nigeria Police is not like resigning in the private sector and could take a much longer time for the process to be completed.
Hundeyin explained that Isiak had been absent from duty for 21 days without leave or permission, and the police had to detain her for going AWOL. In contrast, for the officer to be officially relieved from duty and declared discharged, she needed to present a discharge certificate.
In conclusion, Isiak is expected to face an orderly room trial after her detention. Lagos State Command Spokesperson Hundeyin accused Isiak of maliciously misrepresenting facts to create a negative perception of the police, which also constitutes a disciplinary offence.
