THE Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6 Command, Calabar, Abubakar Marafa, has alleged that some hoodlums have snatched rifles from drunken policemen.
Marafa also lamented that there had been frequent cases of firearms misuse by policemen on duty, adding that the development had led to the killing of innocent persons.
Speaking in Uyo on Friday during a visit to the state Police Command, Marafa stated that policemen were only allowed to shoot when their lives were threatened.
Marafa noted that police authority would not tolerate officers who carelessly handled their rifles by firing at innocent citizens or by permitting it to be taken away by hoodlums.
“As a policeman, you are not supposed to use your rifles anyhow except when you are attacked. We also know that some policemen give up their rifles when they are drunk, while others allow the rifles to be taken away from them through careless handling.
“The gun is your life; you have to resist every attempt against people who want to take it away from you. Even though you lose it, there must be evidence that you, at least, had put up a hard fight against it being taken away from you.
“We have received series of reports against various human rights violations by policemen. I want you to keep up the spirit of maintaining peace and security in the state because Akwa Ibom is one of the states with low crime rate,” he said.
Marafa also warned police officers against mounting roadblocks, noting that the practice had been stopped.
He said mounting roadblocks in any guise violated fundamental human rights, maintaining that such a practice would not be tolerated.
“Roadblock has been banned; respect the fundamental human rights of Nigerians. We’ve received series of reports about this. Respect the right of Nigerians. This will trigger cooperation between the police and the society,” Marafa said.
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