Police Spokesperson: If You Injure Someone In A Fight And They Die Within A Year, The Law Presumes You Killed Them

The spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has warned Nigerians against fighting, saying that the law presumes a person to be a murderer if the person he or she fights and gets injured dies within a year and a day.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made the comment in a video lecture on Friday, 24^th of March.

In the lecture video, the force PRO has stated that issue of anger, violence, fight, attacks and the likes are penal offence in law and have consequences in law.

 “In most cases, when you slap someone and the person dies, it is not an assault again but a murder case., it is presume that you have killed someone…A murder case is not just a mere offence in law, it is a felony; it is a capital offence”

Preceding further, the force PRO also stated that the when two persons fight in public; when a person slap someone and the other person does not respond then an assault has being done; also, bodily harm has another level in law, the degree of the harm will dictate on the level of punishments.

If the injury leads to death within a year and one day, it is assumed that you killed the person except the results of an autopsy shows otherwise or there are other proves to show the contrary. There are presumptions in law of death on the accused person after bodily harm has been inflicted and in most cases it stands.

The force PRO further stated that the only way to express our anger is by talking, and even by talking it must not be done provocatively. At any slightest provocation, we slap, we attack, we injure, it is considered criminal and “it is not part of our culture” he stated. He further asked that we return to our culture.

Also, referring to the provision of section 305 of the Criminal Code, he stated that citizens should avoid anything that will lead to crisis, fight, violence or harm. Also, persons who are party to the offence, the law will not spare them. He admonished citizens to avoid anything that will lead them to jail or the court.

This video lecture series was from the force public relations department.