Police spokesperson pens thought-provoking article after mob attack on officer

The Nigeria Police Force, Cross River State Command, has called for greater respect for lawful police authority while asking citizens to seek legal redress when they believe officers have violated their rights.

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The command’s spokesperson, Sunday Eitokpah, an assistant superintendent of police, made the call in an article titled “Protect the People Behind the Badge: Respect the Rule of Law,” shared with PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Eitokpah’s article comes against the backdrop of a recent incident in Calabar, in which a police constable was assaulted around Watt Market, Calabar, leading to the arrest of 60 people.

According to the police, the incident occurred on 15 September around Goldie by Etim Edem Lane after someone alerted officers that a police officer was being attacked. The officer was subsequently rescued and taken to a police station.

The command said 60 suspects were arrested during subsequent operations in the area, while efforts continued to identify others who may have participated in the alleged assault.

In his article, Mr Eitokpah argued that attacks on police officers performing their duties should not be normalised, saying the issue extends beyond the individual officer to the authority of the state and the capacity of institutions to maintain public order.

“A police uniform is a symbol of public authority, but behind every badge is a human being,” he wrote.

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He said police officers routinely leave their homes to respond to emergencies, prevent crime, protect lives and property, maintain public order and enforce the law, adding that assaults on officers undermine their ability to perform those responsibilities.

What the law says

Mr Eitokpah cited Section 98 of the Police Act 2020, which makes it an offence to assault, obstruct or resist a police officer in the discharge of the officer’s duty.

The provision stipulates a fine of N500,000, imprisonment for six months, or both upon conviction. The section also extends to a person who aids or incites another person to assault, obstruct or resist a police officer or someone assisting the officer in the discharge of duty.

Mr Eitokpah, however, stressed that respect for the police should not be interpreted as immunity from accountability.

“Where a police officer is alleged to have acted unlawfully, abused his powers or violated the rights of a citizen, the appropriate response is to report the matter and pursue lawful redress,” he wrote.

He pointed to Nigeria’s human rights framework, including avenues for complaints through the National Human Rights Commission, as mechanisms available to citizens seeking redress.

‘No citizen or police officer is above the law’

The police spokesperson said the same principle of accountability should apply to both citizens and law enforcement officers.

“No citizen is above the law, and no police officer is above the law,” he wrote.

He urged citizens who believe an arrest is unlawful or that an officer has engaged in misconduct to pursue the matter through appropriate legal channels rather than resorting to violence.

“If an officer misconducts himself, report him. If an arrest is believed to be unlawful, seek legal redress. If a complaint is genuine, pursue it through the appropriate channel. But do not turn an allegation into an excuse for violence,” he said.

Mr Eitokpah also acknowledged the responsibility of police officers to exercise their authority lawfully and professionally.

He said the authority conferred by the police uniform carries a corresponding duty to respect human dignity and the rights of citizens.

“The uniform demands discipline. The badge demands responsibility. Police authority must always be exercised within the law,” he wrote.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that in July, the Cross River Police Command launched a public sensitisation campaign against jungle justice, urging residents to hand suspected offenders to the police rather than subjecting them to violence. The command said only the courts have the authority to determine guilt and impose punishment.

Earlier, in August, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the command opened an investigation into the deaths of two unidentified men allegedly attacked by a mob over suspected robbery in Calabar South.

Mr Eitokpah said both citizens and police officers have roles to play in building public trust.

READ ALSO: Police launch campaign against jungle justice

“The police need the confidence and cooperation of the people to do their work effectively. Citizens, in turn, need to know that when they encounter the police, their rights will be respected and their complaints will receive appropriate attention,” he wrote.

He said effective policing and respect for human rights should not be treated as competing objectives.

According to him, the way forward is neither confrontation nor impunity, but adherence to law, accountability, professionalism and mutual respect.

“The protection of police officers and the protection of citizens are not opposing causes. They are part of the same objective: a society governed by law rather than force,” he wrote.