On a visit to Oyo State Police Command, Ibadan on Thursday, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, listed the conditions in which a policeman can use firearms.
IGP stated that they should not allow the killing of their colleagues by hoodlums and the destruction of police facilities to demoralise them, saying they had duties to perform as stated by the Nigeria Constitution.
He urged them to show maximum restraint in using their firearms but said they must use them if their lives were in danger or during a riot while encouraging them to go back to work and perform their duties.
Adamu said there were some bad eggs in the police just like they were in other segments of the society.
The IGP said, “Every Nigerian has their rights, they are called human rights, you too have your rights as human beings and you must protect your rights. Nobody will trample upon your right and go free in as much as you also protect the rights of other Nigerians. You are not supposed to be demoralized.
“Constitutionally, you have the duties to perform in this country, duties to protect 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 go out there and perform your duties the way you were trained to do and you must be civil to members of society.
“Be courageous in doing your job and in the course of doing your job, if anything happens, we will stand by you. But never shy away from performing your duties. If you shy away from performing your duties it means the whole society will be in trouble, the criminals will come out.
“When you must use your firearm, you must use it. Remember the conditions under which you can use it- when there is a riot, you can use your firearm, when people are running away from lawful custody, you can use it. Protection of public assets, you can use your firearm, when your life is in danger and there are no other means to protect yourself, you can use your firearm.
“But you are not supposed to kill, you are supposed to your firearm to restrain them but not to kill.
Source: Punch
