Public Relations Officer of Edo Civil Society Organisations, Leftist Osazee Edigin in a statement said that a popular producer with ITV was allegedly assaulted by the police in Benin City on Thursday, because he was recording a quarrel between the police and commercial bus drivers. Read the statement below:
POLICE BRUTALITY IN EDO STATE TAKEN TO ANOTHER LEVEL:
…Don General of ITV assaulted by the police in Benin City.
Don General, the producer of a popular television show ‘vbosunu’ was severely assaulted by men of the Edo state police command yesterday in Airport road simply because he was recording a fracas between the police and commercial bus drivers.
The report also states that, the aggressive police officers bundled him and his camera into their hilux van to the state police command as they intermittently dealt blows and kicks on him. He was said to have sustained injuries on his body.
It should be noted that, few days ago some police men pounced on a young man that went to one of the new generation banks on Sapele road to withdraw money, thereby demanding the sum of N100, 000 from him as ransom. Upon sighting the ITV news crew, they took to their heels.
The complaints of residents in Edo state concerning the operations and activities of men of the Nigeria Police Force is worrisome and calls for urgent response from all relevant stakeholders. It has been observed that the police in Edo state have preoccupied themselves with the chase after Internet fraudsters and collection of huge amount of money for bail.
The newly launched ‘Operation Wabaizigan’ security architecture by the state government have been turned to money making opportunity for police officers attached to vehicles procured by tax payers’ money intended to fight violent crimes.
Now that the police audacity has assumed this dimension, the call for a rejigged police command has become sacrosanct than ever. The commissioner of police should as a matter of public interest inaugurate a Public Complaint Desk at the state command in collaboration with the civil society and the Nigerian Bar Association to stem this ugly tide so as not to give the impression of a subtle nod from him of the unprofessional conducts by his men.
The assault on Don General is highly condemnable and the police officers involved must be sanctioned to serve as deterrent to others that think possession of arms depicts the power to abuse human rights at will. Edo Civil Society Organisations is currently reviewing the incident and making plans in addressing the unprovoked assault on his person.
Leftist Osazee Edigin
Public Relations Officer
Edo Civil Society Organisations
