Posted by Nigerian police have revealed that it is illegal to physically assault or strike a uniformed police officer, even if they have misbehaved.
Armed Forces spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi made the statement on Wednesday evening in a Twitter section hosted by Premium Times.
According to Adejobi, a policeman symbolizes Nigerian authority and any disrespect towards him would be considered an insult to Nigerian authority.
Adejobi also said there are instances where police officers are authorized to use force in the performance of their duties.
However, he pointed out that it is completely illegal for a civilian to attack the wandering officer, regardless of what a police officer may have done. He said:
“If a police officer misbehaves, it’s not enough for someone to hit a uniformed police officer. There is a case today, I saw the trending video, police officers arresting Okada man. “I’ve always said this, that there’s no way to dictate that you won’t use minimal force.
“The law allows police officers to use minimal force. So how did you apply your minimal power to make it justifiable? “I found out that these men, these policemen, didn’t actually use batons. If they used the baton against this man to put him down to some extent, that’s justifiable, but neither is it their place to harm this man.
“But I noticed again when I reviewed and reviewed, watched the video again and saw that it was not a police baton in any way, it is heavy metal. Is it a baseball bat or baton that police officers would use on someone for wanting to trespass on his bike? You can see to some extent that they are unprofessional in any way. As the man was bleeding profusely, he fled with the Marwa (tricycle). It’s still not professional.”