The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, on Thursday, visited the Oyo State Police Command, Ibadan to encourage his men to travel back to their duties with courage and rid the state of criminals.
He also listed conditions during which policemen are allowed to use firearms.He said they ought to not allow the killing of their colleagues by hoodlums and therefore the destruction of police facilities to demoralise them, saying that they had duties to perform as stated by the Nigeria Constitution.
He urged them to point out maximum restraint in using their firearms but said they need to use them if their lives were in peril or during a riot.Adamu said there have been some bad eggs within the police a bit like they were in other segments of the society.
The IGP said, “Every Nigerian has their rights, they’re called human rights, you too have your rights as citizenry and you want to protect your rights.
Nobody will trample upon your right and go free in the maximum amount as you too protect the rights of other Nigerians. you’re not alleged to be demoralized.
“Constitutionally, you’ve got the duties to perform during this country, duties to guard lives and property and to fight crime.
Therefore, no amount of insult, attacks should prevent you from performing your constitutional duties.
We encourage you to travel out there and perform your duties the way you were trained to try to to and you want to be civil to members of society.
“Be courageous in doing all of your job and within the course of doing all of your job, if anything happens, we’ll stand by you. But never recoil from performing your duties.
If you recoil from performing your duties it means the entire society are going to be in trouble, the criminals will begin .
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“When it’s necessary for you to use your firearm, you want to use it.
Remember the conditions under which you’ll use it- when there’s a riot, you’ll use your firearm, when people are deed from lawful custody, you’ll use it. Protection of public assets, you’ll use your firearm, when your life is in peril and there are not any other means to guard yourself, you’ll use your firearm.
“But you’re not alleged to kill, you’re alleged to use your firearm to restrain them but to not kill. During the #EndSARS protest that turned violent, many of you showed maximum restraint in handling the protesters.
“You were professional to the core in handling the protest. You showed maximum restraints which was why we didn’t have tons of casualties. So, many thanks for that. If you’ve got used your firearm, we might have gotten tons of casualties and it might are a special story. the entire world knows how professional we are.”
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Chucks Enwonwu, said the visit of the IGP was a morale building , saying his men aren’t able to abandon their duties for others.
He said the command had remained unshaken and therefore the IGP’s words had redoubled their energy and commitment to form the state safer.
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