14th January, 2016
In a show of concern for the recent extra-judicial killings by some policemen in some parts of the country, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon E. Arase, has ordered that all police officers bearing firearms in the performance of official duties be subjected to psychological test and evaluation.
This is to ensure that they are mentally and emotionally fit to perform their duties.
Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, ACP Kolawole Olabisi, revealed this in statement made available to the media.
He noted that the exercise is “aimed at eliminating cases of irregularities in handling of weapons by policemen, as well as protecting the public whom the police have the constitutional duty to serve, and not to continue killing innocent and law-abiding citizens.
“The IGP disclosed that the central purpose of this exercise is to offer mental health recommendations that can help restore an officer to job fitness and deploy such policeman to appropriate section he/she is fit to work.”
He said Arase has, therefore, “directed all police medical doctors across the nation to conduct psychological test on all policemen bearing firearms in their respective Commands, every three months, noting that if any police officer has a psychological condition or impairment unattended, it will impact negatively on the overall performance of the Nigeria Police Force.”
There have been recent cases of trigger-happy policemen killing innocent citizens in Lagos and other parts of the country.
In December last year, a police Sergeant, Stephen James, shot three persons dead before killing himself at Paulson Hotel located on Anibaba Street in Ketu, Lagos.
A police Corporal also killed a woman, Idongesit Udoh in Spetember last year in Lagos when he opened fire on the tricycle the woman’s husband was riding with other members of the family.
The cop carried out the dastardly act because the man refused to offer bribe, insisting that he was returning from church with his family and he had no money on him.
Mr Udoh himself was also severely wounded by the gun shot that almost shattered his jaw.