ACN Slams Police, Military Over Badagry Killings

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the police and the military involved in the Badagry inter forces face-off of behaving like mere militia groups, rather than the disciplined forces they are supposed to be, when some policemen killed a soldier and some soldiers decided to avenge by killing three policemen.

In a statement issued in Osogbo, Osun state, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,

on Wednesday, the party also slammed the leadership of both forces for their failure to ensure their men

are disciplined enough not to engage in such extra-judicial killings and lawless acts, which have disgraced

Nigeria in the comity of nations.

It criticised the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, for opting not to visit the scene where the killings

took place, even though he was in Lagos when they occurred.

”The police boss should have taken time off to visit the scene where three of his men, including two senior

officers, were killed in cold blood after they were lured into a supposed peace meeting. For the IGP, no assignment can be more important than the well-being of the men and women who serve in the force,” ACN said.

The party traced the disgraceful behaviour and classic cases of indiscipline by some men of the police and

the military, which led to the Badagry killings, to the fact that policemen and soldiers have become used to turning their guns against innocent civilians, with little or no consequences for the killers.

”Hundreds of Nigerians have been killed or maimed by policemen and soldiers, with most of them getting away

with murder. This is why they are now emboldened to turn the guns, given to them by taxpayers to protect the

people, against themselves.

”Had the leadership of these forces taken concrete measures to stop extra-judicial killings by their men, the incident in Badagry would not have happened. The latest killings have been played up because policemen and soldiers are involved. We must do everything possible to stop extra-judicial killings, whether the victim is a Molue driver or an Army General,” it said.

ACN challenged the leadership of the police and the military to act urgently to ensure that the senseless killings in Badagry are never repeated, and to also take measures to ensure that their men behave like their counterparts in other climes, who would not take innocent lives for whatever reason.

”If the only thing that comes out of the Badagry killings is that innocent Nigerians will never again be mowed down in cold blood by trigger-happy policemen and soldiers, those who were killed in that moment of madness will not have died in vain,” the party said.