The attention of the Nigeria Police has been drawn to the Daily Sun
newspaper publication of Monday 27th November 2007, at back page,
captioned 'Murder Incorporated', credited to one Okey Ndibe, writing
under the column 'Offside Musings'.
The Nigeria Police is piqued that such a hitherto talented and
respected journalist will produce a jaundiced and myopic analysis of
casualties arising from Police-Armed robbers encounter. Granted that
Okey Ndibe is entitled to his opinion and could be 'offsided' if he so
wished, his musings, particularly his language, as reflected in the
back page article, detracts from the pride of place the The Sun
newspaper afforded him.
For avoidance of doubt and for emphasis, we wish to restate excepts of
the speech of the Inspector-General of Police:
'In summary a total of one thousand, six hundred and twenty-eight
(1,682) armed robbers were arrested, one thousand, five hundred and
eighty two (1,582) firearms were recovered; six thousand, five hundred
and fourteen (6,514) rounds of ammunition were recovered; seven
hundred and eighty five armed robbers (785) were killed in shoot-outs
with Police while a total of two and forty-two (242) stolen vehicles
were recovered. Four hundred and seventy-two (472) cases related to
these incidents have been charged to court. We lost sixty -two (62)
Policemen in the line of duty'.
Throughout his piece, Okey Ndibe deliberately and perhaps,
fraudulently, never mentioned the SIXTY TWO (62) Police Officers who
died in the ensuing counter with armed Robbers when these 785 armed
robbers were killed. His international friends that he cited never
wondered how 62 Police Officers could be killed by armed robbers in
three months and that nation has not declared a state of National
Emergency. Ndibe did not disclose to his readers that at that Jamaican
Conference the indignation of the participants that Police Officers,
who represent the law, could be mowed down with such impunity and no
tear is shed for them! Recently in France, when rioters torched some
Police stations and injured some Police officers, the entire machinery
of Government was deployed to support and defend the Police.
In his musings, Okey Ndibe admitted that 'armed robbery has risen to
an implacable scourge: incessant, pervasive and nightmarish. Many
armed robbers operate with a viciousness that inspires terror in the
hearts and heads of victims'. It is therefore very reprehensible that
Ndibe could, in the safe confines of his study, tag the Nigeria Police
as 'highhanded'.
It must be noted that these 785 armed robbers were not just picked up
and killed by the police. The 62 Police men did not die in their
bedrooms or on sick beds. They were all cut down in a shoot-out with
these hoodlums. Yet Ndibe and his likes refused to show sympathy or
even acknowledge the gallantry of these officers who lost their lives
in the defence of the life and property of fellow Nigerians and the
expatriate community.
Did Okey Ndibe inform his Jamaican participants of this peculiar
nature of violent crime? Did he also inform them that in some parts of
Nigeria, armed robbers go in bands of 20's and 30's to rob banks and
neighbourhoods? That with such large attacking and robbery gangs, that
casualties will be high on the side of the criminals and the law
enforcement?
Come to think of it! The Nigeria Police is still expecting a word of
sympathy and condolence from the Human Rights for the 62 Police
officers who were brutally killed by rampaging armed robbers.
As it is characteristic of arm-chair critics, Okey Ndibe never offered
a single suggestion on the way forward. We expect a foreign or home
grown solution to the scourge of armed robbery. Until we hear from
Okey Ndibe and Human Rights Watch, the laws of the land are very clear
on the use of firearms and the Nigeria Police is mindful of its
statutory roles.
Our lawmakers are aware of the laws of the land and they have
oversight functions on the Police Performance and operations. They are
also aware of the challenges of the force. We shall continue to strive
to ensure that we act within the laws of the land and with all
openness. That openness is what informed the speech of the
Inspector-General.
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The Nigeria Police wishes to appeal for support and understanding of
the media, state and government agencies and members of the public in
the war against crime generally.
HAZ IWENDI
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
For: INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE
Haz Iwendi
Commissioner of Police
Force Public Relations Officer
The Nigeria Police
Force Headquarters
Louis Edet House
Shehu Shagari Way
Abuja -Nigeria
0803-504-1387
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