By Monday Ijeh
The internet was on May 13 agog with a video showing Seun Kuti, a popular Nigerian singer, assaulting a police officer on duty in Lagos.
In a video the “Afrobeat’’ Seun, the son of legendary Afro beat musician, Fela Kuti, wearing a red shirt atop a white pair of trousers was seen slapping a policeman standing by a police van.
While slapping the policeman, he repeatedly asked: “You dey mad’’? (are you insane’’?).
In a swift reaction to the assault, the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Usman Baba, ordered the Commissioner of Police in Charge of Lagos State to arrest the Afrobeat singer and open an investigation against him.
The I-G also ordered a speedy investigation into the remote and immediate cause(s) of the assault and prosecution of the suspect.
Baba said the act of contempt/disdain for symbol of authority would not be tolerated adding that offenders of such hideous crimes would be surely brought to book.
Reacting to the incident, the Police Service Commission (PSC) commended the I-G for ordering the arrest of Kuti for attacking a police officer on duty.
Solomon Arase, the chairman of PSC, said that no matter the offence, nobody had the right to assault a police officer on official duty.
Arase, a former I-G frowned at the effrontery of Kuti to slapped the policeman severaly insisting that Nigeria is not a Hobbesian state where might is right.
“We must, as civilised people, explore established channels of complaints against alleged infractions by law enforcement officials rather than this uncouth behaviour of assaulting the country’s symbol of authority.
“We look forward to the prompt prosecution of Kuti to act as a deterrent to others,’’ Arase said.
Arase commended the police officer for refusing to be provoked by the action of his aggressor a development he said would have been fatal.
He also, said it was unfortunate that the incident occurred when the Police Force management was dealing with officers who harassed, intimidated or assaulted civilians.
“The Commission demands that the culprit be arraigned immediately, and the police must ensure that the matter is followed to its logical conclusion to restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police.
“The demand is in recognition of the fact that the police is the lead agency in internal security.
“Its ability to maintain law and order and to protect lives and property must be held sacrosanct,’’ an angry Arase said.
The Kuti incident is not the first time that policemen have been assaulted. In fact, in some cases, they are victims of kidnap, most of which have turned out to be fatal.
According to a media reports, gunmen killed at least 37 police officers in 52 attacks on towns and communities in the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria between 2021 and 2023.
The report said the criminals were mostly suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
It said the gunmen, in 2021 stepped up their attacks on the South East states in spite of military operations in the area.
The report said investigations showed that the worst state in the attack was Imo where there were no fewer than 30 attacks on police formations
While Seun is presently in court to defend is action, records show that several other Nigerians had been charged before various courts for assaulting Police officers on duty with some being sentenced to prison for the offence.
In December 2019, four Nigerians were charged at the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for assaulting and unlawfully detaining a police officer.
In the same year, two men were sentenced to two years imprisonment for attacking a policeman while in 2021, an Assistant Superintendent of Police was assaulted on duty by a traffic offender.
The 2020 EndSARS protest that degenerated into violence, loss of lives and wanton destruction of property, also witnessed several reports of assaults, attacks and destruction of police facilities.
A report presented by the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), during that period, Mr Mohammed Adamu. showed that 22 policemen were killed nationwide during the violence that erupted during the EndSARS protests.
Adamu said the number was collated between Oct. 11, 2020 when the #EndSARS protest assumed a national dimension and Oct. 27, 2020 when it died down.
He said 205 critical national security assets, corporate facilities and private property were attacked, burnt or vandalised.
According to him, a total of 10 firearms including eight AK 47 rifles stolen during the attack on police stations and a locally made pistol have been recovered from elements operating under the guise of the #EndSARS protesters.
The I-G said in spite of the challenges, securing the country was a sacred job from which the police would never back down.
“Inasmuch as we are aware that the government is behind us; so, we would encourage you to keep performing your duties.
“We would encourage you to be professional, to be civic, but if anybody touches you, if anybody comes to assault you, you can also protect yourself.
“When we talk of human rights, the police are human; so, the rights of police officers would also be protected.
“So, we sending the message that legally, we have the right to protect ourselves but while we are doing that, we make sure that until we are endangered,” he said.
Many security experts are disturbed by the rising wave of assault on policemen and police formations nation.
Mr Sam Okoye, a Security Expert blamed the attacks on police personnel and facilities on political rivalry among some politicians.
He said another possible cause was the EndSARS protest that exposed the brutality of policemen.
Okoye said the attacks had dire consequences for the security and wellbeing of Nigerians.
According to him, these attacks damage essential public infrastructure as the attackers often target police stations and vehicles acquired with public funds to protect the members of the public and public infrastructure.
The security expert said the attacks could demoralises police personnel and contributes to the rising insecurity in the country.
He said the arms and ammunition forcefully taken from the policemen during these attacks were very likely to be used against members of the public.
Okoye told the News Agency of Nigeria that police response to attacks had been commendable, though there are rooms for improvement.
He said such response had been very coordinated, unlike before when they would resort to mass arrests and unbridled use of counteroffensive strategies.
Mr Benson Ayodele, a legal practitioner said the law stipulates that assaults, resists or willful obstruction of a Police officer while acting in the execution of his duty was an offence and liable to imprisonment.
Ayodele condemned the increasing incidences of assaults and attacks on police officers on duty, adding that the police were law enforcement officers not criminals.
He said the police had duty to uphold the law and maintain public safety adding that any physical attack on them must be taken seriously,
“Such actions can result in criminal charges and legal consequences. Over the years, the Police have retained their efforts in providing protection for the lives and property of citizens.
“While we can agree that police officers sometimes are unruly, unprofessional and power-drunk in the exercise of their duties, that is not a justification for anyone to assault a police officer,” he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
