Stop Inciting Policemen Against Peaceful Protesters – Rights Activist To IGP

BIGPEN recalls the IGP, had, in a statement by Frank Mba, Force police spokesman, asked all command commissioners of police and assistant inspectors-general of police to “resist all riotous elements forthwith and checkmate any form of violent/riotous protests”.

The IGP gave the order less than 24-hours after a group of #EndSARS campaigners regrouped at the national assembly. The protesters had also gathered at the police headquarters in the federal capital territory (FCT) on Sunday, last week.

“The inspector-general of police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has ordered the deployment of all legitimate force to protect lives and property of citizens including police officers and personnel of other law enforcement agencies and their families, and to prevent attacks on private/public assets from any violent person(s) or group(s) operating under any guise,” the statement read.

“The IGP restates that command commissioners of police and their supervisory assistant inspectors-general of police should resist all riotous elements forthwith and checkmate any form of violent/riotous protests in line with section 33 (1) & (2) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which among other things provides for the use of such force as is reasonably necessary –
(a) For the defence of any person from unlawful violence or for the defence of property;
(b) In order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained; or
(c) For the purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny.

“The IGP affirms that the force will not tolerate a repeat of the horrendous attacks and killings, arson and wanton destruction, and looting of public and private assets witnessed during the recent violent protests in some parts of the country. He warns that the force shall deploy the full weight of the law and legitimate force (if necessary) in preventing a reoccurrence.

But reacting to the statement, Ikimi in a telephone conversation stated that the order by the IG was capable of escalating the tense atmosphere in the country, saying “ordering police officers to defend themselves against any violent in a public statement is inciteful”.

He said that it was wrong for the IG with the tense situation in the country to invoke the constitutional provision which empowered the police to quell riot, insurrection or mutiny in a press statement instead of channeling such directives through internal memo to commissioner of police.

According to him, what the IG did smack of plans to instigate the police officers into taking actions that are constitutional their right.

“The IGP has been making some statements of late which are capable of escalating the present situation of the country. He made a statement to the policemen that they should defend themselves against any violence and after a week or so, he made another statement again that police should use lawful/legitimate force in suppressing any violence. I know that all these statement are geared toward quelling the #EndSARS protest. But he is not supposed to make these statements because of the tensed situation of things.

“With what he has done, he is trying to incite the police against the innocent protesters. The police, like every Nigerian have the right to self defence. It is guaranteed in the 1999 constitution. Again, the police has the right as guaranteed in the constitution under section 33, subsection 2. It says that the police can use legitimate force for the purpose of suppressing a riot, or insurrection or mutiny.

“These are laws that are guarantee in the constitution. My fear is that consistently saying these things in the press at this point in time where the situation is tense is like inciting the police, his men against Nigerians, the protesters. That’s what it means. Again he doesn’t need to make all these statements publicly. There is a way he can channel these statements through the commissioners of police in the states down to the various Divisional Police Officers. The laws are there but you must not use them to incite the police against the public.

He, however, noted that the police are practically on strike all over the country, adding that the failure of the police to remain firm and dereliction of duty in the wake of the protest, was one reason the Nigeria Police needed to be reform.

“Look at the whole of Delta state, the police are not doing their work, the police are no where to be found, not even the traffic police are seen outside anywhere and I think it a failure on the part of the hierarchy.

“All these laws are there for the police to use but they are going out of their way, killing innocent people and causing mayhem here and there. That is why i am afraid with some of the statements made by the IGP. It is not as if these laws are not there, they are there but they have gone beyond these legitimate force to the use illegitimate force so we have a problem at hand which is how the police are dealing with members of the public.

“These laws are there but thy have been violated in many cases. So, with these kind of situation, the IGP still consistently incite the police in the guise of issuing order to them is not acceptable because we have policemen who are ill-trained, ill-equipped that would go and misinterpret the IGP statement and act otherwise so the problem at hand will never be resolved.

He, however, urge the police hierarchy to provide security to the peaceful protesters whose right to protest are also guarantee under the 1999 constitution and fish out hoodlums who may want to hijack the protest.

“The IGP should not make statements that would inflame the already heated atmosphere even when many of the things he is saying are constitutional. He should channel official statements properly and see more of how he can quell the crisis rather than inflaming it. The IG should not be seen making such utterances because some of the things he is taking to the press are things they ought to use to lecture their officers in their weekly conference. These are things he should use to lecture his men and not bring it to the public as if he is inciting the police to stage a fight with members of the public. The police should tow the path of caution rather than inflaming it.

“The federal government should also tow the path of caution, they cannot be sizing the passport of #EndSARS protesters on one hand, and on the other hand says you want to reconcile and heal the wrongs. What is going on now would defeat the gains of what they said they have achieved in the first week of the protest. If the government continue the way they are going, the essence of all those judicial panels would be defeated and  they will amount to nothing”, Ikimi further warned.