Last week, ‘a lawyer at every police station’ was the point of discussion in our column, while we were still trying to get ourselves into the idea, the Nigerian police in their ‘usual unusual’ “abracadabra” proved that indeed, we need a lawyer at every police station.
On the 24th of March 2017, officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Iponri Police Division, Lagos State, led by one Inspector Tunde stormed Kaduna to arrest my mum, and two other businesswomen for debt recovery, a transaction that occurred in Kaduna State.
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These businesswomen, my mum included, were agents for a company called ‘Stallion Fish’ in Kaduna with a credit facility to the tune of three million Naira to supply fish, and make returns when customers pay up. The company closed up in Kaduna, with the agents of the company still owing part of its credit facility.
In order to recover their debt, Stallion head office in Lagos State filed a complaint at the Iponri Police station. With full knowledge of a lack of jurisdiction to entertain the matter, the Iponri police station got a lawyer to write a petition against these women, that they came to his law office in Lagos, requested for cartons of fish, and never returned.
Based on that petition, these officers travelled all the way from Lagos State to Kaduna State to arrest these women. On getting information that police arrested my mum and wanted to take her to Lagos, my humble self in the company of Fumen Isaac Gandu Esq, Nicholas Cletus Oche, and Kpem Kpem Esq, went to Barnawa Police Station, Kaduna.
We tried explaining to these police officers that a civil dispute that occurred in Kaduna needs not be taken to Lagos to be determined; their reply was ‘The commissioner of Lagos is interested in the case.’ All efforts to get the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command to intervene proved abortive.
We then decided to approach a magistrate court to file, and move a restraining order. The police officers got wind of what we were trying to do and whisked away these women, in the disguise that they wanted to take them to the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna.
Nothing was heard until around 8:00p.m. when my mum called with a strange number that they were at Lokoja heading to Lagos. An alarm was raised that officers of the Nigeria Police Force had kidnapped my mum, and the information got to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos.
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On arrival in Lagos on the 25th of March 2017, by 8’ o’clock in the morning or so soon thereafter, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos invited all of them to his office, and interviewed the women to ascertain the their position regarding the matter.
He was appalled by the decision of the DPO of the Iponri Police Station, and his men describing their act as unacceptable for a matter that could have been resolved in Kaduna State. He reprimanded the DPO and directed that he take responsibility to return my mum and the other women back to Kaduna by air with police escort, which was done.
Having digested the facts above, take a pause, and imagine if the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command was not informed of the situation on ground, what would have been the fate of these women? That is the fate experienced by millions of Nigerians in most police stations in the country.
The moment a complainant comes to a police station and supports his claim with handsome cash, some trigger happy police men will swing into action and infringe the fundamental right of another citizen of Nigeria, without recourse to the law.
The Nigeria Police set up checkpoints along the roads, with no machinery or framework checking their acts of impunity. The Commissioner of Police Lagos Command whom we have heard on social media abhors impunity among his men, is one of the few good men compared to the lot we have scattered in police stations across the country.
The current administration, if it truly intends to stamp out corruption needs to beam its searchlight on the activities of police officers in the country. These men blatantly disobey court orders, infringe on the fundamental human rights of millions of Nigerians on a daily basis.
The Nigeria Police ought to focus its effort to curbing crime in our society, not interfering in disputes they have no jurisdiction over.
Appreciation goes to all those who assisted in securing the release of my ‘sweet mother’, God bless and reward you!
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