The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos council has urged the federal government to stop police brutality and ensure true reform of the Nigeria Police.
Jenmi AbdRaheem, General Secretary of the religious body in a statement on Wednesday and made available to The Precision NG tasked the police officers to be civil and professional in handling and managing the youthfully innocent young Nigerians on the street to avoid chaos and unrest in the society.
Full statement below:
- All over the world, youth and innocent citizenry have suffered a great deal of manhandling and unlawful brutality from policemen, and Nigeria police officers are taking an exclusive lead in such rank with unjustified harassment and cruelty especially on the street of Lagos to the Oil creeks of Edo, Delta and across the nation. Young people have experienced unlawful use of force and extortion by police officers who are meant to protect them, with so many of such leading to fatal injuries, devastating accidents and death sometimes.
- As Nigerians have witnessed too many times, the unwarranted arrest, compulsory demands for money from all motorist and lawful car owners at check point, as well as torture and delays on the few who refuse to comply. these incessantly shameful acts have now been extended to law abiding students in the higher institutions of learning nationwide, as they are harassed when found with gadgets (laptop, smartphone, tablets etc) that are meant to be for their academics and personal development. The MSSN Lagos condemns this in totality and despise all forms of brutality and inhuman attitude from our policemen.
- In lieu of above and many more unpatriotic attitudes from police officers across the country, MSSN Lagos State Area Unit hereby call on the National Assembly (upper & lower Chambers) and federal government through the ministry police affairs & police service commission to as a matter of urgency follow up the F-SARS Dissolution by the NPF IGP, Muhammad Adamu on Sunday 11th October, 2020 with a law to reform the Nigeria Police #POLICEREFORM, with optimal enforcement and compliance while any defaulting police officer of such law must be made to face the consequences in the court of law civilly.
- Equally, as we call for police reform, reorientation and proper mannerism at all levels, we hereby call on the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, to be deliberate on ensuring better welfare packages (such as take home pay and housing), prompt human relations & developmental trainings, real-time promotion for worthy officers and a reliable pension scheme for the entire police force in order to guarantee adequate and efficient service, free of bribery and other blemishing act by any police officer nationwide.
- We want to equally reiterate that anything short of the above will only bring about the continuous harassment of the citizens especially the common man, with unlawful force by policemen. As this will not only violate the right to liberty, security and equal protection under the law – a fundamental right of every Nigerian citizen as enshrined in the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria but equally endanger our lives as we are no longer free from discrimination in our own country.
- Finally, we want to appeal to the police officers on patrol to be civil and professional in handling and managing the youthfully innocent young Nigerians on the street to avoid chaos and unrest in the society. While we further call on the protesting youth to be polite, reasonable and tender all demands without causing or flamming crises that could lead to further loss of lives and properties.
- We pray Almighty Allah continue to bless our nation, Nigeria and may HE grant us peaceful co-existence (Aameen).
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