ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, has emphasized that law enforcement officers are legally empowered to enter private properties without a warrant when there is credible suspicion of ongoing criminal activity.”
Adejobi made this statement on Saturday while addressing public outrage over a viral video that captured masked, armed police officers invading a property without proper attire or a warrant. The video, which has drawn widespread condemnation, showed officers scaling a fence and firing shots to disperse individuals on the premises.
The video, shared by Twitter user @General_Somto and captioned “What’s Going On Here???“, shows two masked officers carrying AK-47 rifles and demanding access to a house, the location of which remains unidentified. The occupants, including a man believed to be the homeowner, refused to open the gate, insisting the officers show their faces and present a search warrant.
The homeowner can be heard in the video saying, “Imagine police people with facemasks come into my house to force our door, said that we are fraudsters.” The officers, however, responded with threats, saying, “You said you no go open the gate? Ok!”
As tensions escalated, one of the officers fired a shot into the air, causing the occupants to retreat into the house. The video then shows one officer scaling the fence to gain entry and subsequently opening the gate for his colleague.
Reacting to the incident, ACP Adejobi confirmed that while the police have the legal authority to break into properties if a crime is suspected, the behavior and appearance of the officers in the video were unacceptable.
“Let’s clarify an issue here,” Adejobi said. “The police have the power to break into any house or place where they are reasonably convinced an offence is being committed. That is understandable. However, I am not too ok with their dressing and appearance. It is improper dressing. Policemen are not allowed to wear masks or tie headgear. These are issues we need to address.”
He added that the police would investigate the incident and hold the officers accountable. “I wish I knew the location so that we could direct these questions to the men involved. However, I have shared the video with the PPROs to locate the men. We need to investigate the scene captured in the video. Thanks.”
More Read
The incident has sparked renewed public concern regarding the growing issue of police brutality in Nigeria, highlighting the pressing need for enhanced accountability and transparency within the Nigeria Police Force. The incident has once again brought to the forefront the importance of holding law enforcement to the highest standards of conduct, ensuring that officers are both effectively trained and held responsible for their actions.
