NIGERIA POLICE FORCE CEASELESS EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS
Read Time:5 Minute, 36 Second
Ife Adewole
Afrobeat Singer, Femi Kuti has called for the immediate reform of the Nigeria Police Force over the rising cases of the shooting of innocent Nigerians by men of the Nigeria Police force, in a peaceful protest held at the New Afrika Shrine in reaction to the recent brutal killing of Kolade Johnson.
Many innocent Nigerians have gone the way Kolade Johnson went, they have left us without facing trial of any offence, they have paid for the mistake, rudeness and excessiveness of some Nigeria Policemen.
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Recently, a 36-year-old Kolade Johnson, on a Sunday night at a football viewing centre in Mangoro/Onipetesi area of Lagos, where he reside fell victim of indiscriminate release of bullets from the men of Special Anti-cultism Unit of Lagos State Police Force.
The Policemen, who claimed to have traced a suspect to the football viewing centre where the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham was on-going, started shooting sporadically. Eventually, one of their stray bullets scooped life out of Kolade Johnson.
On Thursday, March 28, 2019, a commercial motorcyclist known as Ademola Moshood turns out to be another victim of extrajudicial killings by men of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Soloki Police Station, Surulere Lagos.
Moshood was shot few buildings away from his house, simply because he allegedly refuse to pay a bribe of N200 demanded by three policemen identified as Patrick, Ak and an unnamed officer, who were well known in that vicinity for such act.
The policemen were said to be on patrol, stopped Moshood at Kilo Bus-Stop Surulere Lagos, and demanded money from him but he refused them because he claimed to have closed for the day.
Moshood refusal to give the three policemen a bribe of N200 made him pay with his dear life as one of them heartlessly put his gun on his head and shot him dead.
Again on Monday, March 18, 2019 an 18-year-old girl, Hadiyat Sikiru was reportedly shot dead by men of the Nigeria Police Force in Adamo community in Ikorodu area of Lagos.
What transpire was that policemen from Imota Police Division stormed the community to raid suspected criminal hideouts in the area. As a result, they started shooting sporadically and so young Hadiyat soul was cut shut by a stray bullet.
This angered the residents and therefore, led to a confrontation with the policemen which eventually made the policemen to abandon their patrol vehicle and find alternate means of escape.
One might think being a uniform man would save him from the cold hand of the Nigeria Police Force ruthless killings, but the killing of a National Youth Service Corps, NYSC member on July 3, 2018 would make you have a rethink.
The killing of Linda Igwetu, a NYSC member deployed to Abuja who was allegedly shot dead by a policeman on her way home with some friends around 3:00am in Mabushi area of Abuja was another pathetic killing of innocent soul by men of the Nigeria Police Force.
Another, uniform personnel who was brutally killed while on duty by a member of the Nigeria Police Force was an officer of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA known as Adeyemo Rotimi on Wednesday, 28th November, 2018.
Rotimi was alleged to have stopped the police inspector attached to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad Ikeja, FSARS, Olukunle Olonade who was driving a cream coloured Highlander jeep with registration number LSR 277 BJ so he could free the traffic from other routes, but the policeman reportedly shunned his directive and zoomed through the traffic in anger.
Late LASTMA official Adeyemo Rotimi, shot dead while on duty by a Nigeria Policeman
The LASTMA officer tried to reprimand him, but things went out of hand the moment the police inspector felt insulted, he brought out his pistol and shot Rotimi in the eye.
Realizing what had happened, the police inspector attempted to flee with his car, but residents of the areas and passersby gathered and was ready to lynch him, before the Moshalashi division of the Nigeria police Force came to rescue him.
Cases of Nigeria Police Force extrajudicial killings is very numerous that any citizen of this country do not need to think very hard before remembering one of their atrocities.
Is it the incident of a young lady, Anita Akapson who was reportedly shot dead by a policeman at Katampe Extension in Abuja on October 19, 2018, or that of two drivers at Ibro Motor park located opposite the International Market, Lokoja, Kogi State over issues bordering on gratification, which led to the death of one of the driver simply known as Emmanuel while the other driver’s leg was amputated.
A heartbreaking issue occurred during a wedding ceremony in Anara, Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo State on Sunday, April 15, 2018 that will forever linger in the memory of the couples, was when a policeman allegedly shot and wounded two persons.
The policeman, who was an aide to one of the guests at the occasion shot into the air to impress his boss who was spraying money, he was said to have lost control of his riffle and two onlookers fell victim of his negligence and were hit by his bullets.
The victims identified as Ikechukwu Onwudiwe and Uzochukwu Ogbuhuruzo, Onwudiwe was hit in the hand and Ogbuhuruzo was hit in the waist. They were both rushed to the Accident and Emergency Unit of Imo State Teaching Hospital, Orlu for treatment were the victims was said to have survived the incident.
While speaking with Hotjist.com, Femi said, “We are not against the police, we’re saying the complete orientation of the Police must change into positiveness. The Police works for us and must defend its citizens. The police cannot go and kill its citizens. We pay our taxes so the police must defend us.
“We’re not saying scrap the Police Force, of course, there’ll be crime. If police is properly equipped then Police can protect us against crime”.
The Nigeria Police Force operate strictly under the executive arms of government. Hence, they get their salaries from the tax we pay, yet, they release their bullets indiscriminately on the very citizens who pay their salaries, those whose lives and properties were meant to be under their protective watch, at the slightest provocation.
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