Anambra Shooting: Group Calls For Rebuilding Of Police/Public Trust, Condemns Violence

The Police Stakeholders’ Partnership Forum (PSPF), Anambra State, Monday, called for the rebuilding of the pact between the public and the Nigeria Police to make the citizenry have confidence in the force.

The forum, which addressed newsmen in Awka, while condemning the recent killing of two commercial motorcyclists by police operatives who were enforcing the ban on okada riders at Igboukwu and Ekwulobia, both in Aguata LGA, observed that any mistrust between the police and the public would have negative effects towards crime-free society.

Prince Chris Azor, coordinator of the group, said, “What is needed after the sad experiences of the immediate past are actions and measures that will help rebuild trust and promote partnership between the police and the communities. However, we condemn the resort to mob violence. Setting police stations on fire as a reprisal for police killings, and releasing detainees are extreme and counterproductive responses. Public resources that could have been used to render other essential public services would be diverted to rebuild the burnt police station. Again, the same criminal suspects released from custody are likely to return to the communities to commit crimes against members of the same community who wrongfully freed them. None of these outcomes serves the community interest.”

Azor commended steps taken by the Anambra State government by giving the affected families N500, 000 each, as well as the proactive response of the state police commissioner in arresting the suspects, and called for justice to serve as a deterrent to others.

Iyom Tina Igbasi, in-charge of the group’s publicity/orientation, called on the communities where the dead riders came from not to take laws into their hands. In her words, “We, therefore, call on the good members of the affected communities to exercise restraint and refrain from further taking the laws into their hands. We urge them to give the police and the governor the chance to address the problem as they have already started doing. We call on the governor and the CP to ensure that measures to be taken are appropriate and conclusive in order to ensure redress and deterrence.

“We, also, call for adequate and regular training for police officers on the use of force and firearms to enhance their professional competence and reduce abuses and deaths resulting from misuse of firearms.”

THE WHISTLER reported the killing of two commercial riders penultimate Tuesday, and the burning of the police station at Igboukwu by angry youths.