The Lagos State Police Command image maker, Joseph
Offor, has said that any policeman who killed civilians, no matter the cop rank
or status, will not go unpunished.
The police image maker while speaking with journalist blamed
incidents of extra judicial killings and accidental gun discharges by policemen
on negative mindsets.
The DSP recalled the shooting and killing of Comfort
Idongesit Ekpo, by Corporal Muse Aremu. There was also the shooting and killing
Beauty Macleod, a rising superstar tennis player in Nigeria, who was mowed down
by a policeman. He also remembered a commercial bus driver, who was killed
by a policeman at Second Rainbow, Mile 2, Lagos.
He further said: “Our internal mechanism is at alert
to fish out erring officers. It’s not for lack of adequate training on arms
handling, but it’s a thing of negative mindset on the part of some officers.
Police cannot give any officer gun without subjecting him to rigors of gun
handling training. When you pass out of Police College, you must undergo
special arms training on how to handle guns so that it doesn’t kill you or
others. It’s a continuous process.”
The PPRO said that in addition to special arms
training, every police officer was taught the basics of respect for human
rights.
“The police have produced a manual on human
rights. Every police officer has it. We have United Nations convention on
torture, African treaty on People’s Right and Extra Judicial killings. Any
policeman who deviates on these must face the law.”
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