Wetin Nigerian law tok say go happun if you slap police officer

Some videos wey go viral on social media recently show how civilians dey involve in gbasgbos with police officers and dis kind tin don cause debate on social media on weda civilian fit retaliate if police assault dem.

For one of di videos, two young men dey drag AK47 rifle wit one of di two police officers sake of say im seize one of di men phone.

Nigeria police don tok say e dey against di law to assault police officer.

According to di tok-tok pesin for di Nigeria Police Force Muyiwa Adejobi, even if policeman on uniform slap civilian, di civilian no get right to retaliate.

E say na act of disrespect to Nigeria to beat officer on uniform, and im add say di disrespect no be to di policeman but to Nigeria and na crime wey dey inside Nigeria criminal code.

“So no be case of wetin di policeman do, wey lead to am, but di reaction of di civilians wey actually assault di police,” Adejobi tweet.

According to di Lagos State Police Command tok-tok pesin, Benjamin Hundeyin, e say section 356 of di criminal code describe assault against police as serious assault wey get three years imprisonment attached to am.

Section 356 (2) of di criminal code tok say: “assaults, resists, or wilfully obstruct police officer wen im dey execute im duty, or any pesin wey dey act in aid of police officer while so acting."

'Assault on civilians na 25 years imprisonment '

Ogbonge lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana for one statement wey im release also advise civilians against assaulting police officer sake of say na disrespect to di nation and e dey inside criminal laws.

"Even if policeman on uniform slaps civilian, di civilian no get right to retaliate," Falana tok.

Falana also note say na three years imprisonment dey wait for anybodi wey dem find guilty say im assault police officer.

Di lawyer, however, tok say police officers dey equally mandated to respect civilians.

Im say citizens fundamental right to dignity dey protected by section 34 of di Nigerian Constitution.

Falana say under di Anti-Torture Act of 2017, di penalty for assaulting civilians na 25 years imprisonment.

Im say no citizen gaz dey subjected to any mental, physical or psychological torture.

Di lawyer say both di Administrators of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and Police Establishment Act 2020 don stop police officers and oda law enforcement personnel from subjecting Nigerian pipo, including criminal suspects to degrading, humiliating or inhumane treatment.

“Indeed, section (2)(b) of di Anti Torture Act, 2017 tok say torture don dey committed wen dem intentionally inflict act wey cause pain and suffering on pesin, weda e dey physical or mental to punish am for act wey im or anoda pesin commit or allegedly commit. Di penalty for assaulting civilian na 25 years under di Anti Torture Act of 2017," di statement add.

Wetin you fit do if police officer assault you?

For one statement wey im release on Monday, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi tok say e dey wrong for anybodi to take law into dia hands if police officer assault dem.

Im say situation where police officer assault citizen, dat pesin gaz report through di Police Public Relations Officers (PPROs) of di various commands.

Anoda channel pesin wey police assault fit report na through Complaint Response Unit and through official police accounts across dia social media platforms.

Tok-tok pesin for di Lagos State Police Command Benjamin Hundeyin say for situation where police assault civilian, di pesin wey dem assault gaz report di mata and police go take action to rebuke di officer.

Im warn civilians make dem no take laws into dia hands.

Di Ogbonge lawyer, Femi Falana tok say di victim fit sue for monetary compensation under di Anti Torture Act and di Constitution.