by Azubuike Azikiwe
Assistant-Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Lagos, Joseph Mbu, says he was misquoted in the media that he ordered policemen to kill 20 civilians for every officer killed in the line of duty, during the forthcoming general elections.
A couple of weeks ago, while addressing police officers of the Ogun State Command, Mbu instructed them to be battle-ready to return fire for fire against politicians during the elections.
Last week, Mbu reiterated his stance, when approached by journalists in Olorunsogo, Ogun state, to clarify the controversial comments.
He answered saying: “I still stand by what I said. And what I said is very clear: that if any violent group attacks my policemen, my policemen should attack them violently.”
However, in a statement signed by the Zonal Police spokesperson, Olugbemiga Adeoye, the AIG stressed that he simply “advised his policemen not to be cowardly but to be guided by Force Order 237 on the use of their firearms.”
Mbu stated that the purpose of firearms is not only for the policeman to defend themselves but also others as well as “fellow police officers when their lives are in danger.”
The statement pointed out that Mbu was quoted out of context and that media reports on the matter may have been influenced by politics. He added that the reports were aimed at portraying him in a bad light and as an officer who does not uphold the rule of law.
Mbu’s statement said: “Although policemen are not to be seen with firearms within a specific radius of the polling area, quick response squads will be created to respond to distress calls. There is no society in the world where policemen will be killed by hoodlums and the perpetrators will be allowed to escape justice.”
“What he (Mbu) said was that no highly placed individuals in the society who have police escorts and other forms of personal guards will be allowed within the voting area accompanied by such retinue of escorts.”
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