Police and lockdown enforcement

Soon after President Muhammadu Buhari had announced lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in three states of Nigeria (Lagos, Ogun and the FCT), some personnel of the Nigerian Police, rather than remain professionally civil in the enforcement of restriction orders, chose to display excessive exuberance. This has led some Nigerians, including a medical personnel […]

Soon after President Muhammadu Buhari had announced lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in three states of Nigeria (Lagos, Ogun and the FCT), some personnel of the Nigerian Police, rather than remain professionally civil in the enforcement of restriction orders, chose to display excessive exuberance. This has led some Nigerians, including a medical personnel on essential duties, to suffer brutality. Others lost their lives in the hands of poorly trained but armed policemen.

For example, Akwa Ibom State government (as obtains in other parts of the country) exempted health workers from its restriction orders. In the course of enforcing the stay-at-home order, a police sergeant, Edidiong Alexander, deployed to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, assaulted Dr Daniel; a surgeon with the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. The latter, whose hand was fractured, was on his way to work on Friday April 3, 2020.

The police investigated the incident after the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Akwa Ibom State threatened to embark on strike over police assault on Edet. The police officer, who was found guilty after investigations, was demoted from the rank of sergeant to corporal. The state’s Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, also met and apologised to Dr Edet and the chairman of NMA in the state over the conduct of the police officer.

The police in Kaduna similarly clashed with traders on Tuesday April 7, 2020. Traders at the Sabon Garri-Trikania market had trooped out for business activities. To enforce the stay-at-home order issued by the Kaduna State government, armed policemen reportedly opened fire to disperse the traders. Before the pandemonium was brought under control, six youths had had their lives taken by police bullets. Reports said armed policemen were brought in when members of the civilian Joint Task Force could not compel traders to desert the marketplace. It would be recalled that this incident occurred when government gave a window to residents for restocking.

Commenting on the incident, the Kaduna State Governor’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, said government had reviewed the 24-hour lockdown and given a two-day window of Tuesday and Wednesday every week to enable residents to buy food and other essential commodities; adding that the State Task Force on COVID-19 met with representatives of traders and resolved that dealers of foodstuff and essential commodities were permitted to bring in and offload their goods on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Based on this therefore, police’ deadly shootings that led to the death of six youths were needless and unfortunate.

Few days after the commencement of the lockdown order in Lagos, three persons were allegedly injured when policemen went to stop an alleged party that was going on in Surulere area. Although the suspects said they were playing a piece of “loud music”, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Elkanah Bala, claimed they were caught hosting a party that had over 50 persons in attendance. Although the suspects were released the following day, a family member of one of the suspects alleged that the policemen assaulted his mother and two siblings during the crackdown.

While there are bound to be offenders wherever law exists, policemen by training are supposed to be civil in their job. The police, at all times, should be a source of peace and order, not a source of concern, chaos or disorder. As reiterated in a statement on the enforcement of lockdown, the Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said “the rights of citizens must be respected and protected, including the right to health care, security, and access to food and water”.

At the commencement of the lockdown in parts of the country, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, directed all police commands to limit arrests and suspend detention for minor offences. Unfortunately, some policemen, while enforcing the lockdown, acted in a counter-productive manner. While we advise officers to be clear in their instructions to police personnel that will go out to enforce restriction orders, we urge policemen to stop abusing their powers and adopt a right-respecting approach in the enforcement of lockdown measures.