Reps seek ban of alcohol consumption by police officers

The House of Representatives has called for a ban on police officers from consuming alcohol while on duty and other hard substances capable of inhibiting their sense of reasoning.

This resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion of Urgent Public Importance raised by Babajide Obanikoro (APC-Lagos) at plenary in Abuja on Wednesday.

The lawmakers while agreeing that the Nigerian Police Act on the general conduct of the police officers should be reviewed, observed a minute silence for a lawyer killed by an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Lagos State, Omobolanle Raheem.

They also condemned the killing of Raheem, who was shot dead in Lagos on Christmas Day.

Moving the motion, Obanikoro lamented that on Christmas Day, without any altercation, one of the officers shot Raheem who was seven months pregnant with twins in the Ajah area of Lagos State.

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He recalled that similar incident happened on December 7 by officers from the same police station, who gunned down a young man which sparked unrest.

The lawmaker expresed worry that such type of occurrence happened often across Nigeria, adding that the officers usually got away with killing innocent citizens they swore to protect.

The legislators also demanded for thorough investigation into the killing and other incidences of extrajudicial murders committed by police officers.

Adopting the motion, the lawmakers further agreed that the Nigerian Police Act on the general conduct of officers should be reviewed.

They, therefore, observed a minute silence for the deceased lawyer.

The Star