Attack on civilian: Nigeria Police doesn’t condone indiscipline, violation of human rights – FPRO

Contrary to information making the rounds on various social media platforms the Nigeria Police Force has said it doesn’t condone indiscipline and violation of human rights.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejoibi, stated this in a press statement, Monday, while reacting to a trending video of a civilian in a tussle with a policeman for reportedly collecting their cell phones.

The FPRO had come under  attack over his earlier reaction on Twitter perceived to have justified the policeman’s action.

CSP Adejobi had posted on his verified twitter handel @princemoye1: “Even if a policeman on uniform slaps a civilian the civilian has no right to retaliate, more so if he’s on uniform. The disrespect is not to the policeman but our nation, so it’s a crime as enshrined in our criminal law.

“So, it’s not a case of what the policeman did that led to it, but the reaction of the civilian who actually assaulted the police. If police assaults a civilian you report and action will be taken to rebuke him, not to take the law into your hand. It’s  a matter of checking of phone, which can be easily reported and addressed.

“Now, they are kept in our 5-Star hotel in Lagos and will be in court by Monday. Are.you going to visit them or send them food, or appear in court to defend them? Don’t support what is bad, OK.”

However, reacting to the Spokesperson’s post, Human Rights Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), also through his verified twitter handle gave CSP Adejobi 24 hours to withdraw the statement or risk removal by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Baba.

Falana, in the statement titled: ‘Assaulting a Civilian by a Police Officer Attracts 25 Years Imprisonment’ Sunday night stated that, “If the statement is not withdrawn within the next 24 hours, the IGP, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba, should not hesitate to replace Mr. Adejobi with another police officer, who has unqualified respect for the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people.”

According to Falana, “While civilians are required to respect police officers, who are discharging their lawful duties, section 34 of the Nigerian Constitution, states that every citizen is entitled to the fundamental right to the dignity of their person, arguing that the penalty for assaulting a civilian is 25 years under the Anti Torture Act of 2017.

“The spokesperson of the NPF, Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has said that if a policeman should slap a ‘civilian’, the person has no right to retaliate. Even if a policeman on uniform slaps a civilian, the civilian has no right to retaliate. More so, if he’s on uniform, it’s an act of disrespect to Nigeria to beat an officer on uniform. The disrespect is not to the policeman but to our nation and it’s a crime as enshrined in our criminal laws.

“By virtue of section 34 of the Nigerian Constitution, every citizen is entitled to the fundamental right to the dignity of their person. “Accordingly, no citizen shall be subjected to any mental,  physical or psychological torture. Both the Administrators of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and Police Establishment Act 2020 have prohibited police officers and other law enforcement personnel from subjecting Nigerian  people, including criminal suspects to degrading, humiliating or inhumane treatment.

“Civilians are required to respect police officers, who are discharging their lawful duties. The penalty for assaulting or slapping a police officer is  three years’ imprisonment under the Criminal Code. In the same vein, police officers are equally mandated to respect civilians.

“Indeed, Section (2)(b) of the Anti Torture Act, 2017 states that torture is deemed committed, when an act by which pain and suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person to punish him for an act he or a third person has committed or suspected of having committed. The penalty for assaulting a civilian is 25 years under the Anti Torture Act of 2017.

“In addition, the victim may sue for monetary compensation under the Anti Torture Act and the Constitution. In view of the foregoing, Mr. Olumiyiwa Adejobi should withdraw his highly inciting and provocative statement, which has given the misleading impression that the Nigeria Police Force, has authorised its officers to slap citizens and subject them to other forms of torture without any challenge whatsoever.

“If the statement is not withdrawn within the next 24 hours, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba should not hesitate to replace Mr. Adejobi with another police officer, who has unqualified respect for the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people.” 

On his part, the FPRO said, “It has become pertinent to emphasize that the Nigeria Police Force has been a vanguard of sustainable democracy in the country via the aggressive protection of the fundamental rights of the citizens and other members of the Nigerian society.

“This has been evidential in the continuous sanctions meted out by the Police authority on officers engaged in violation of individual rights, as well as extant laws when reported via any of the available police complaint channels.”

According ro him, “Some media platforms deliberately misquoted it as endorsing violence by uniformed officers against members of the public.

“Where a public officer acts contrary to the provisions of extant laws, there are channels to report such conduct and get prompt justice, particularly in the Nigeria Police Force.

“In the extant case, the individuals resorted to self-help and assaulted the officers, attempted to snatch the officers’ firearm, and in so doing breached the law. It is trite that two wrongs cannot make a right, as such whatever the provocation, the action of the individuals were wrong in all ramifications as they would have reported the matter for prompt action.

“Emphasis on this has clearly been misrepresented across media platforms as a single tweet in a thread was mischievously read out of context with a mischievous caption “No Nigerian Has the Right to Retaliate when Police Slaps You… “.

“The Force urges well-meaning members of the public all of whom are strategic stakeholders in policing across the country to disregard the malicious publications as the current police administration is committed to ensuring that the rights of all citizens, uniformed or not, is protected across board.

“Furthermore, the Force urges the Nigerian populace not to take laws into their hands whenever they have unpleasant encounters with police officers. Complaints arising from such encounters can be reported via the Police Public Relations Officers (PPROs) of the various Commands, the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) and via official Police accounts across social media platforms. Similarly, the idea of pouncing on and beating up Law Enforcement Agents carrying out their public duty by members of the public whom they serve, is criminal and disrespectful to our beloved nation, Nigeria, and must not be allowed to exacerbate.”