Extra-judicial killings: IGP vows culprits will face prosecution

Mohammed, who was accompanied on the visit by top police chiefs, said though affected officers had already been arrested and tried internally, they would still also face criminal prosecution for their allegedly unlawful acts, which, according to him, were against the ethics of the Force. He enthused that police officers in the state had been performing creditably well, but that the activities of a few unscrupulous ones were denting the good work of others. “I am in Lagos State to talk to officers and men of the Police Force on good behaviour, and to remind them of the ethics of the job. We are to serve members of the public; we are not their masters, we are their servants. “Recently, we have had some overzealous officers who went out of their way in the course of performing their duties; they shot a lady and she died and we felt that is not acceptable. It is unbecoming and I have to come down to talk to officers and men to remind them of their duties and tell them that anybody that goes out of his way to commit extra-judicial killing is on his own and will face the wrath of the law,” he said. He commended Gov Ambode for the “massive support to police and other security agencies in the state,” adding that the successes recorded in keeping the state safe would not have been possible if not for his support. Gov Ambode commended Muhammed for promptly addressing the extra-judicial killings in Lagos State personally, despite his responsibilities across the country. This, the governor said, showed “responsiveness and seriousness” with which the issue was being handled by the police chief. “I empathize with the IG because last week. He was in Zamfara; today he is in Lagos and tomorrow he will be in other places. Policing Nigeria is a big challenge but again he is up to the task and we wish him well in his assignment,” Ambode said.]]>