113
By Lizzy Chirkpi
Lagos State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, has been appointed as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), taking over from Muyiwa Adejobi, who has been redeployed to Delta State Command.
Hundeyin, who has served as the Lagos command’s spokesperson since March 2022, is stepping into the role amid a storm of controversies surrounding his predecessor.
Adejobi was removed after years as the public face of the Nigeria Police Force. His tenure was marred by accusations of repression, misconduct, and abuse of office.
Adejobi was often accused of shielding the Force from accountability, clamping down on dissent, and using social media as a tool to suppress critics. Internally, senior officers described him as being entangled in what they termed “women issues.”
Despite these allegations, he was controversially promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), a move that triggered public outrage and raised concerns about his fitness for senior office.
Recall that human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju petitioned the U.S. Embassy to revoke Adejobi’s visa, citing his alleged role in repressing dissent. Among his accusers were nurse Olamide Thomas, who alleged retaliation after rejecting his advances, and UK-based Dorcas Adeyinka, who claimed she was falsely framed for murder and later sued him for violating her rights.
In one incident that drew widespread condemnation, Adejobi was accused of instructing a cameraman, Aku Victor Chimerie, to steal activist Omoyele Sowore’s Ray-Ban glasses during the #PoliceProtest. The glasses were later returned after Sowore exposed the culprit’s identity.
Reacting to his redeployment, Sowore, a former presidential candidate, wrote on X:
“I have said this before, and I will keep saying it: Muyiwa Adejobi @Princemoye1 is one of the worst policemen ever recruited into the Nigeria Police Force @PoliceNG.
His conduct is not just a personal failure; it is a testament to the rot within the system that rewards mediocrity, dishonesty, and shamelessness while punishing integrity. But we’ve come to a point where this impunity must be stopped permanently. #RevolutionNow #EgbetokunMustGO!”
Sowore’s comments followed a police statement signed by Adejobi defending his recent arrest. The police claimed Sowore was detained over allegations of forgery and cyberstalking, denied reports that his hand was broken, and insisted he was granted bail within 48 hours.
Witnesses, however, alleged that Sowore was assaulted by at least eight officers attached to Adejobi’s office before being moved to an undisclosed location.
Adejobi’s exit is seen by many as the end of a turbulent era for the Force’s public relations machinery, with Hundeyin now tasked to restore credibility and public trust.