WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti
The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), has advised the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to combat the brutality that is common among the policemen in the country.
The socio-cultural group said the globally best practice is for policemen to respect the dignity of every citizen by refraining from actions that could either dehumanise or demean humanity by their actions.
In a statement in Ado Ekiti on Sunday by its Secretary General, Dr Kunle Olajide, the body lampooned the police over the injuries their men allegedly inflicted on some pro-democracy champions in 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.
Some policemen, according to YCE allegedly disrupted rallies tagged ‘ O To Ge’ (It Must Stop), held in the concerned states on democracy day.
Olajide averred that “the policemen did not only disrupt the rallies in those states, they brutally harassed, detained and inflicted injuries on some of the participants.
“One of the leaders of the rallies in Ogun, Dr Tunde Amusat and Mrs Oyeronke Akinlolu, whose husband was brutality killed by kidnappers at Iwaraja after collecting N8 m ransom, were picked up and detained 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.
“Are these policemen doing all these on their own or taking orders from somewhere?
“It was rather sad that this was happening at a time when President Muhammadu Buhari is embracing and romancing democracy.
“So, the IGP needs to rein in his men. We also commend the governors of Lagos and Osun states, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Gboyega Oyetola, for allowing O to Ge rallies in their respective states.”
The YCE scribe added that police’s main preoccupation in the South West must be how to curb the menace of kidnappings and killings being caused by suspected marauding herders.
“The level of insecurity in the South West is becoming frightening and worrisome by the day.
“The IGP must beef up security and work with the governors in the region, traditional rulers and local hunters to checkmate these bandits.”
He said the group as elders and leaders in the zone, won’t watch while their people were being mowed down by killers.