Francis Iwuchukwu 
Some senior lawyers have called for a re-orientation of the rank and file of the police force in order to tame the ris- ing trend of police brutality across the country. The lawyers spoke at the week- end on the heels of the public out- rage which trailed the inhuman treatment meted out to one, Success Ehimare, by some police officers attached to the Edo State Police Com- mand. In a 19 seconds viral video, Ehimare who was handcuffed was seen lying on the road while a police vehicle, a Sienna car, ran over him, as onlookers screamed, asking the officers to stop while the handcuffed man was powerless beneath the vehicle. The Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had in the aftermath of the ugly incident disbanded the team of seven officers. Information about the team’s disbandment was made public by the police spokesperson, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, via a statement. The statement reads: “In a bold move to address the unprofessional conduct of some police officers attached to the Edo State Police Com- mand who were responsible for running over a citizen at Ekpoma, the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has taken the decisive action of dis- banding the team forthwith. “This step taken by IGP Egbetokun aims to regularize and stan- dardize police operations in the axis and restore public trust in the police force. “Additionally, the operatives who ran over a handcuffed man, Ehimare, in the Ekpoma Area of Edo State on June 29, 2023 are currently facing disciplinary charges and administrative procedures, having arrived at the police headquarters in Abuja.
“This move underscores the commitment of the IGP to hold officers accountable for their actions which will never be tolerated in the Nige- ria Police Force”. Prior to the disbandment of the team by the IGP, Edo State Commis- sioner of Police, Adamu Dankwara, had equally condemned the action of the police officers, describing it as barbaric, inhumane and unpro- fessional. A statement issued by the police spokesperson in the state, Chidi Nwabuzor, revealed that the seven officers were involved in the inci- dent have been arrested, with an assurance that justice would be served. Nwabuzor identified the leader of the police team as Magdalene Osayande, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). According to Nwabuzor, the arrested officers are detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), where they are being interrogated. While also identifying the victim as ‘Success Ehimare’, the police spokesperson revealed that the victim was intercepted with an unregistered Lexus car and allegedly refused to show the vehicle’s papers to the officers who were on a routine stop and search duty along Ihumudumu Road in Ekpoma. Nwabuzor said the driver became aggressive and refused to oblige the request of the police operatives, adding that it was at that point that Ehimare was arrested, and handcuffed before the incident took place.
Incidents of police brutality On December 25, 2022, a cop at- tached to the Ajah Police Station, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Drambi Vandi, reportedly shot dead a 41-year-old pregnant lawyer, Mrs Bolanle Raheem, under the Ajah Bridge, in the presence of her husband. The late Mrs Raheem, her sister and four children were said to be coming from an eatery in their car around 11 am when the cop tried to stop them. It was learnt that her husband was trying to make a U- turn under the Ajah Bridge when the trigger-happy cop shot at the vehicle. The matter is now a subject of litigation before Justice Ibironke Harrison of a Lagos High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS). At the last hearing of the matter, the defendant closed his case after testi- fying in the matter, following which parties filed and adopted their written addresses. Justice Harrison has fixed October 9, 2023 as the date to deliver judgement in the matter. Another case of police brutal- ity is that of one, Gafaru Braimoh, whose death was equally linked to the cops at Ajah Police Division. Buraimoh, who is a resident of Happy Estate, Ajah, was gunned down by a stray bullet from a police Inspector attached to the police sta- tion at about 11.30pm while coming out of SkyMall on December 6, 2022. According to reports, the shooting which led to the death of Buraimoh occured during a raid of sellers of black market fuel. Trouble was said to have started when the cops attempted to impound a black marketer’s fuel.
According to Muyideen Buraimoh, a brother to the late Gafaru Buraimoh, “His resistance angered the officers who started shooting indiscriminately”. Confirming the sad development, spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Superintendent of Police (SP) Benjamin Hundeyin, said: “At About 2330hrs (11:30p.m) of Tuesday, December 6, 2022, a shoot- ing incident involving men of Ajah Division, resulted in the unfortu- nate death of Gafaru Buraimoh of Happy Land Estate, Ajah”. In a related development, the duo of Igwe Odinaka and Chikere Obieche who were businessmen were shot dead on April 24, 2022, by a drunk cop at a friend’s birthday party in a hotel bar at Gowon Estate in Lagos State. The deceased duo, who deals in phone accessories at the Ikeja Computer Village were hit by gunshots when a cop said to be showing off and trying to impress the birthday host mistakenly fired gunshots into the guests who were dancing. Koleosho Abayomi, a secu- rity guard at the Lekki Peninsula Scheme II, in the Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, was also shot by a police officer en- forcing the ban on motorcycle op- erations in Lagos on September 28. He was however fortunate to have survived. The cop, alongside three colleagues attached to the Ogombo Police Station, had stormed the Lekki Peninsula Scheme II to enforce the government’s ban on motorcycle operations on the estate when the in- cident happened.
Paul Durowaiye was however not so lucky as he was killed on Janu- ary 22, 2022, in Kogi State, by a cop over dispute on N20 sachet water. Durowaiye was said to have taken a sachet of “pure water” belonging to the policeman before he met his untimely death. The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, con- firmed the incident, saying a pre- liminary report from the Area Commander indicated that the accused cop only tried to defend himself when he had an alterca- tion with the victim. Another Nigerian, Godsent Ob- hafuoso, was killed by a cop on Au- gust 13, 2022, during the burial of his master’s late mother in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State. The incident happened while the victim was reportedly doing a video recording of the party and assisting his master to gather the money be- ing sprayed on him. The policeman allegedly fired gunshots which hit a cameraman and Obhafuoso, who was pronounced dead at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Emmanuel Joseph, an All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward 7 youth leader in Calabar South, Cala- bar, Cross River State, was also killed by a trigger-happy police officer on May 27, 2022.
The incident occurred at the venue of the party’s primary, Cultural Centre, Calabar. Trouble started when Saviour Nyong and Deputy Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Joseph Bassey, who were the two leading aspirants, arrived at the venue with their sup- porters. The two aspirants began to ex- change words and threatened them- selves in a rowdy manner leading to the invitation of the anti-cultism/ kidnapping officers who came and started firing bullets. Joseph was said to have been shot directly in the chest by a cop suspected to be the commander of the unit. Litigation over police brutality In the meantime, the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Abuja, presided over by Justice Dupe Atoki, has awarded the sum of N60 million against the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in favour of one, Sunday Ayodeji, who was shot by a police officer in Kaduna State. It would be recalled that on Octo- ber 22, 2020, a police officer, Abdul- lahi Mohammed, shot Ayodeji at Giwa in Kaduna State.
The gunshot led to the amputation of one of Ayodeji’s legs. Ayodeji was specifically dispossessed of a car and N900,000 by the police during the attack. This development prompted the Avocats Sans Frontieres France (Lawyers without Borders France) to initiate legal action against the FGN at the ECOWAS Court, de- manding compensation for Ayodeji. In her judgement, Justice Atoki knocked the FGN for violating the fundamental rights of Ayodeji and ordered a probe into the incident. The court also ordered the im- mediate return of Ayodeji’s confiscated property by the police. Lawyers speak Reacting to the gale of police brutality in Nigeria, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ahamba, said, “I don’t think the incident that took place in Ekpoma, Edo State, can be called police brutality because the policeman who ran over a civilian couldn’t have been acting under any police law”. While describing the action as a criminal act, Ahamba insisted that same should be treated as such and perpetrators should be made to face the full wrath of the law after proper investigations have been carried out. “We are not going to turn the whole world upside down because the police are brutal. Those who commit acts of brutality should be dealt with.
Nigeria remains a democratic country, and a country under constitutional law”, Ahamba added. For Babajide Koku (SAN), the incident in Edo State is a reflection of the kind of people being recruited into the police. force While expressing shock over the development, the SAN further expressed his disappointment over the welfare package of those polic- ing the nation and called on those in positions of authority to ensure the upgrade of their welfare package. “The new Inspector General of Police (IGP) should put measures in place to overhaul the entire system, and it remains a work in progress”. A rights activist and former Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Monday Ubani, called for proper re-orienta- tion of police officers for them to know how to relate with citizens they were meant to protect. “Infusion of technology in their investigative training will help in the reduction of brutality towards suspects or citizens generally. Training and new orientation are key”, he added. On his part, Dr Yemi Omodele, suggested that the bad eggs in the country’s policing system fall into the categories of those police of- ficers who arrested an innocent citizen and ran over him with their vehicle. The act, according to Dr. Omod- ele remains inhuman. He advised that the police should be more proactive and ensure that the con- cerned police officers should not go unpunished.
“It is a heinous crime. What those policemen did was a clear case of attempting to murder an innocent citizen, and it is an act of man’s inhumanity to man. “I think those policemen must have been doing it before if they are properly investigated. Those sets of police officers could best be seen as being part of the killer squad in the police. “I also want to call for the arrest and investigation of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of that area, the DCO should also not be left behind. “More importantly, the Edo State Commissioner of Police (CP) should be questioned because they are his foot soldiers. There cannot be smoke without fire”, Omodele stated. To curb the menace of police brutality, Dr Omodele suggested that the level of education of those policing the country should be upgraded, adding that they should be adequately trained within and out- side the shores of Nigeria.
He said: “The Nigeria Police should also be involved in social re- sponsibility functions. The problem with police officers is that they don’t know their social responsibilities to the society and that is why they are wicked and inhuman to human beings”. Speaking on the issue, Abdul Wa- hab Olawale, noted that the issue of police brutality is as old as man’s existence. He noted further that in the olden days, the palace policing system engendered oppression and undue punishments from those that guide the traditions and customs who wield lots of power in the name of the King or the Emperor. This, according to Olawale, has also extended to the modern age where despite the rules and laws guiding the operations and con- ducts of the police force, police officers go beyond their bounds and carry on as if they are above the law.
“They harass, oppress and bastardize their victims as if they have no existing rights under the law. “Section 34 of the Constitution under the Clause of human rights as provided in Chapter 4 guaran- tees the human rights of every Nigerian, which protects them from undue harassment, oppression and whatever violations of their human dignity to human person. “Specifically, Section 34 states thus: ‘Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly; (a) no person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment; (b) no person shall be held in slavery and servitude; and (c) no person shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labor.
“From the simple meaning of the above Section, it is crystal clear that no person, group or authority is empowered to oppress others except by lawful means as provided by the constitution and other statute books. “The conduct of police officers regarding their relationship in treating Nigerians, particularly a suspect is in many cases and times condemnable. And the simple rea- son is that the police are entitled to carry arms and ammunition which they ride on or used to oppress the citizens they are bound to protect. “The attitudes, inhumane acts and conducts of some policemen were condemned by the Supreme Court in the case of Oyakhire v The State (2006) 15 NWLR (Pt.1000) 157. “In the celebrated case relating to the oppression of the police of the citizenry, the Appellant (police) and his co-accused, a constable, in their brutality not only rob their victims, they subsequently murder them. The bus in which they were travelling was set ablaze.
“The Supreme Court of Nigeria has this to say: ‘This case represents the height of man’s inhumanity to man. The appellant and his co-ac- cused, police constable, employed by the nation to protect the lives and property of its citizenry, embarked on this unlawful mission, and in their brazen brutality terminated the lives of these five innocent de- fenceless victims, with unimagi- nable damages to their loved ones and families back at their various homes. The case demonstrated the regrettable reality that numerous police checkpoints along our high- ways, only give citizenry a false sense of security. “However, I must be quick to state that this does not mean that all policemen are involved in the violations of the human rights of Nigerians. There are exceptions in some cases. “All these cases and others will not be the first and the last of such violations from the police in Nige- ria. Several of them are ongoing, day in and day out. “However, it can be reduced through institutional frameworks and statutes which will impose heavy penalties on any erring officer(s) who violated the law. And this can only be effective through political will from the government in ensuring that the institution of the police is cleaned up”.
