Remo Star: Gbajabiamila Condemns Extrajudicial Killings, Harassment of Citizens

‎The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said there is the need to reform the Nigeria Police and restore public confidence in them.

He stated categorically that the House would not accept extrajudicial killings, harassment, intimidation and other forms of violence unleashed on innocent citizens by some men of the Nigeria Police.

The Speaker, who stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while declaring open a public hearing by the House Committee on Police Affairs chaired by Hon. Usman Kumo, bemoaned the recent alleged extrajudicial killing of a footballer ‎by the police in Sagamu, Ogun State.

He stated that although the public hearing with the theme: 'Repositioning the Nigeria police for an Enhanced Delivery' might come with some uncomfortable truths, the Nigeria Police should take home the contributions of stakeholders as they would be the ultimate beneficiaries.

Gbajabimila said the public hearing has been convened to examine the ways the House could act to improve the capacity of the Nigerian police to deliver on their obligations to Nigerians.

The Speaker, however, described as unfortunate a situation where some men of the Nigeria police saddled with the constitutional responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people, turn out to be against the citizens.

 

‎He stressed that more than any other institution of the state, it is the police force that relates to the citizens daily, adding that in many communities across Nigeria, the police force is the only representative of the Nigerian state, and the connection between the citizens and the state is often defined by their interactions with the Nigeria Police.

Gbajabimila noted that when the agencies that should protect the lives and property of the people become predatory, they lose the faith of the public and become incapable of delivering on this responsibility.

According to him, "It is unfortunate and entirely unacceptable that the relationship between the police and many of these communities is now defined by fear, mutual antagonism and an absolute loss of faith in the ability of the police to protect as well as serve the people.

"In the last few days, we have all witnessed as the city of Sagamu in Ogun State has been unsettled by an orgy of violence resulting from the extrajudicial killing of a young footballer by officers of the Nigerian Police."

The Speaker equally lamented that the citizens, who gathered to protest this killing, were dispersed by police bullets, stressing that the Sagamu killing was not an isolated incident, as the green chamber is daily inundated with news reports of interactions between citizens and the police resulting in the injury and death of those citizens.

He said reports of police harassment of young people have become so rampant that they barely even break through the news cycle except when public anger becomes so great that it results in a breakdown of law and order.

The Speaker said: "We can no longer stand for this, and we will not. This House of Representatives has a responsibility to speak for our citizens and we will continue to do so even when it is inconvenient."