Metro
Abba ‘shoots’ Mbu over mass killing theory
The Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has cautioned personnel of the force against the use of firearms during the forthcoming general elections “except in extreme circumstances”.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, on Saturday, said Mr. Abba gave the warning when he addressed senior officers in his office.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Mr. Abba said that the Nigeria Police has “a mandate to save and protect lives, and not to kill, contrary to recent statements in the media”.
The IG’s call is in clear opposition to the statement credited to controversial Assistant Inspector General of Police, Joseph Mbu, who had said the police in his division will kill 20 persons for the death of a police personnel.
“If one of my men is killed, I shall kill twenty of them but don’t shoot first,” Mr. Mbu said. “If they shoot you, shoot back in self-defence. Anybody who fires you, fire him back in self-defence,” he said.
The remarks have drawn widespread condemnations, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) lambasting Mr. Mbu as a barbaric and lawless officer who must be immediately cautioned.
In his statement, Mr Abba, said in spite of provocation, attributes of a police officer as contained in the Police Regulations, requires him to exercise “tact, patience and tolerance and control of temper in trying situations’’.
He also cautioned the personnel against excesses and reminded them of the dire consequences of abuse of human rights as contained in the recently released Human Rights Practice Manual of the force.
Mr. Abba restated his avowed commitment to observance of the rule of law and the respect of the fundamental rights of citizens by all police officers.
“The rule of law is the underpinning tenet of democracy which will guide police officers in the discharge of their roles in the forthcoming national elections,’’ he said.
He restated the preparedness of the force to provide the requisite security before, during and after the elections.
-Ripples
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...