Policemen in Nigeria have been given carte blanche to violate citizens’ rights as they please. This order came from none other than the acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, the number one police officer in Nigeria.
Speaking on Tuesday, May 20, to Police Mobile Force and Special Tactical Squad of the Force in Enugu, he ordered the men to go after Biafra agitators and gunmen attacking and destroying police infrastructure in the South-East and South-South regions and kill them all.
He said: “Don’t mind the media shout; do the job I command you. If anyone accuses you of human rights violation, the report will come to my table and you know what I will do. So, take the battle to them wherever they are and kill them all. Don’t wait for an order.
“What another order are you waiting for when Mr. President had ordered you to shoot anybody carrying AK-47 rifle? Quote me, even a dead policeman can be tried and dismissed from the force and his family will not get his benefits.
“So, don’t seat and wait for them to come; take attack to them and don’t lose your arms to criminals.
“Today’s launch of Operation RP by the Nigeria Police follows the directives of Mr. President to the Nigeria Police to re-evaluate and emplace new operational strategies to stem the tide of violence and secessionist agenda not only in the South-East but across the country,” the acting IGP said.
Even without the express support of its leadership to extrajudicial killings, the Nigeria police have been notorious in that act. Now that the IGP has endorsed the act, there is no telling how bad the situation could become.
Many Nigerians expressed their shock that such a blank cheque could be given to the police to violate citizens’ human rights.
A former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu, tweeting with his twitter handle, @ChidiOdinkalu said: “Ag. Inspector-General of @PoliceNG, Alkali, has issued an order for the liquidation of ppl because of who they are. That is an international crime. In his interest & that of his officers, men & women, he should be stopped or resisted openly.”
@Michaelcokafor said: “My confusion is that Biafran agitators are not the only secessionist agitators in Nigeria. Why killing them just because they are clamouring for independence? It baffles me.”
@oc_kalm said: “We need to trend this. This man cannot give this genocidal order and get away with it. What he has actually done is to commission and legalise the killings of #Igbo youths in the guise of bringing peace to the region.”
@DidaoluLekan said: “Extra judicial killing of anyone is unacceptable, condemnable and should not be encouraged at all.”
@trymesixsix said: “He will surely regret saying this. It’s just like he’s sending the zombies on a journey of no return. If I were a policeman, I will disobey and thrash this statement. Can a thousand overwhelm a million? A question for the wise police officer.”
@JFitzpatricks said: “What do you expect? He is trying to justify his selection by undermining the rights of others to #life. Nemesis is not a Nigerian.”
