Lagos Police Confirm Arrest of MOPOL Caught on Tape Harassing Women
An extract from the video clip showing the policeman aiming his gunat one of the ladies
LAGOS APRIL 20TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The Lagos state Command has affirmed that it has arrested one of its officers caught on camera harassing and brutalizing women in Lagos.
“The officer has been arrested already and we have commenced investigation. He is already in our custody” the spokesperson for the command, Ngozi Braid, a Superintendent of Police (SP) said in a statement made available to Urhobotoday an online medium.
Braide disclosed that upon viewing the video, Lagos State Commissioner of Police Mr Umar Manko swiftly set up a team and arrested a Policeman by name Cpl Muhammed Nasir with Force Number 229057 who is believed to have been the one on the alleged video clip, adding that the Officer is currently in Police custody as investigation has commenced and the outcome would be made public.
“The Commissioner of Police wishes to assure Lagosians that a thorough investigation would be conducted as we are betrothed with protection of life of every citizen, not only that, the Nigeria Police Force is committed to exhibiting high sense of professionalism and respect to rule of law which is in accordance with the IGP’S code of conduct for Officers,” the statement added.
It would be recalled that a video clip, published on Apr 18, 2014, showed a police officer, identified as Tafa Mohammed, trying to drown one of his victims in a muddy pond while a crowd watched.
The officer, apparently on guard at one of the banks in the area, had his rifle dangling from his shoulder as the drowning victim struggled under his grip. The officer then pounced on the second victim whom the video showed intervening to rescue the first victim.
The clip, published by SaharaReporters, showed the officer pointing his riffle at his victims before shooting into the air to create fear and disperse the crowd that was beginning to gather at the scene.
Witnesses told the newspaper that one of the victims angered Mr. Mohammed after she failed to give him a piece of fish from a pot of soup in her restaurant. Witnesses claim the police officer was drunk, but Urhobotoday is unable to independently confirm that.
An online crowdsourcing website, Nigeria Police Watch, which documents excesses by the Nigeria Police Force said similar intimidation and abuse of police powers are common within the force.
