• Need for regular training of NPF officers and men
For the umpteenth time, men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) displayed familiar unprofessionalism and ironic lawlessness in their handling of a matter when they invaded Abia Breaking News Television/Radio Station in Umuahia, Abia State, and arrested a guest, Udensi Donald, during a live programme.
On January 16, during an afternoon show, Youth Rendezvous, the police suddenly appeared, disrupted the show, and took away the guest, attributing their action to a petition against him by his elder brother concerning a family matter.
The Director, ABN TV/Radio, Ifeanyi Okali, in a statement, said: “Despite repeated pleas by our staff to the officers to allow the programme to come to an end before the guest could be arrested, they insisted on whisking him away while the live programme was on.” He described the action as an “invasion,” adding that it was “very provocative and indeed an act of overzealousness by the officers who obviously acted in clear contravention of the rule of engagement.”
He said the officers damaged some of the station’s equipment, including a laptop, camera, and microphones, resulting in “huge financial losses,” and demanded the replacement of “the affected tools.” He also demanded a public apology from the Abia State Command of the NPF.
It is unclear why the officers who invaded the broadcast station could not wait for the show to end before arresting their target. The man had not been declared wanted, and was not on the run. He could not have escaped, even if he wanted to, given the police presence at the studio.
Their action was rash, and they failed to show any consideration for the broadcasting station’s business. They compounded their reckless conduct by allegedly damaging the station’s equipment.
Unprofessional conduct by officers of the state police command continued after the drama at the broadcast station. Okali said he contacted the state commissioner of police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, who invited some staff members of the station to the police headquarters. According to him, some officers at the police headquarters “barricaded the door and harassed, intimidated and threatened to detain them,” and they were prevented from seeing the police boss.
It is reassuring that the Abia State Police Command has begun an orderly room trial of its personnel involved in the invasion of ABN TV/Radio station in Umuahia. Police Public Relations Officer Moureen Chinaka, in a statement, said the commissioner of police visited the station, where he conducted an on-the-spot assessment, had discussions with its director, and apologised for the conduct of the officers. She said preliminary investigations indicated that the police officers who made the arrest “conducted themselves unprofessionally.”
“While there is no law prohibiting a police officer from making an arrest in a studio, the facts surrounding the particular case being investigated by the police officers do not warrant such actions,” the police stated, adding that if the officers involved were found guilty, they would be “disciplined accordingly.”
Certainly, appropriate punishment for such misconduct is necessary to achieve a deterrent effect. But the police must be proactive, and focus on ways to ensure that officers do not behave unprofessionally in the first place. The point is that the police need reeducation and reorientation.
The police command says it is “committed to maintaining a professionally competent, service-driven, rule-of-law compliant, and people-friendly police force, in line with the vision of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.” This is what Nigerians expect of the NPF.
But it requires more than words to realise the vision, and redeem the image of the police. The Abia misconduct shows that a lot of work still needs to be done to professionalise the police.
