Nigeria Police Force
The Cross River State Police Command has urged Nigerians to respect law enforcement officers and stop assaulting policemen carrying out their lawful duties. The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, recently had his say while speaking to The PUNCH, and Nigerians have been reacting.
Stressing that the police uniform is a symbol of public authority, Sunday appealed to Nigerians to see the human beings behind every badge who risk their lives daily to respond to emergencies, prevent crime and maintain public order.
He concluded by reminding the public that Section 98 of the Police Act 2020 provides that any person who assaults a police officer in the discharge of his duty commits an offence punishable by a fine of N500,000, imprisonment for six months, or both.
His words, “Every day, police officers leave their homes to respond to emergencies, prevent crime, protect lives and property, maintain public order and enforce the law.
Yet, increasingly, there are disturbing instances in which officers are assaulted, obstructed or violently resisted while carrying out their duties.
Where a police officer is alleged to have acted unlawfully, abused his powers or violated the rights of a citizen, the appropriate response is to report the matter and pursue lawful redress through appropriate channels such as the National Human Rights Commission.
We must therefore resist two dangerous extremes: the idea that every police action should be accepted without question, and the equally dangerous idea that frustration with the police justifies attacking officers. Neither serves justice.
Ultimately, the protection of police officers and the protection of citizens are not opposing causes. They are part of the same objective: a society governed by law rather than force.”
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