‘Civilian has no right to retaliate when slapped by police’ — Force PRO

The Police Force Public Relations Officer, Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has advised civilians to refrain from retaliating when being slapped by a police officer.

Adejobi was reacting to a viral video where two civilians were seen to have thrown an officer on the ground, with one of them gesturing to blow him while holding onto the policeman’s gun.

According to the Police PRO, “Even if a policeman on uniform slaps a civilian, the civilian has no right to retaliate more so if hes on uniform, its an act of disrespect to Nigeria, to beat an officer on uniform, the disrespect is not to the policeman but to our nation and its a crime as enshrined in our criminal laws.

“So its not a case of what the policeman did, that led to it, but the reaction of the civilians who actually assaulted the police. If police assault a civilian, u report and actions will be taken to rebuke him, not to take the law into ur hands. Let alone its a matter of checking of phones, which can be easily reported and addressed.

“Now they are kept in our 5-star hotel in Lagos and will be in court on mon. Are you going to visit them or send them food, or appear in court to defend them? Don’t support what is bad, ok.”

He came under heavy criticism from Nigerian social media users who lamented the unprofessionalism of the police force in the way they usually handle civilians.

@Dannyounge: But A Corp member in NYSC uniform was manhandled by the police and got his phone taken away that wasn’t an offense?

@Ezekwe_01: Dragging the gun with the cops is unlawful. But my question is “What brought to this scenario?” For a civilian to drag a gun with a force” the cop might has done something unacceptable that made this young man act this way. Everybody get him own fault for inside matter.