Yoruba Elders Ask IG to Curb Police Brutality

The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) yesterday asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to combat the rampancy of brutality that was common among the policemen in the country.

The socio cultural group said the convention globally has been that the policemen must respect the dignity of every citizen by refraining from actions that could either dehumanise or demean humanity by their actions.

It made the demand in a statement its Secretary-General, Dr. Kunle Olajide issued in Ado Ekiti yesterday, condemning the police over the injury its men allegedly inflicted on some pro democracy champions in Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states on June 12.

Olajide said it was antithetical to democratic norms for peaceful rallies organised by those perceived to be opposition to mark June 12 celebration to have allegedly been disrupted by the cops under any guise.

He said some policemen allegedly “disrupted rallies tagged enough is enough held in the concerned states on democracy day. The policemen did not only disrupt the rallies in those states, they also inflicted injuries on some of the participants.

“One of the leaders of the rallies in Ogun, Dr. Tunde Amusat, was picked up and delayed for several hours. Democracy allows multiplicity of opinions, but police as an institution should not have botched a peaceful protest meant to commemorate June 12 celebration.”

The secretary-general added that police main preoccupation in the southwest must be how to curb the menace of kidnappings and killings being caused by suspected marauding herders.