Lagos Police Warn Content Creators Against Harassing Officers

The Lagos State Police Command has warned social media content material creators towards harassing, upsetting or obstructing law enforcement officials within the discharge of their duties, threatening authorized motion towards anybody discovered culpable.

The Command stated it could not tolerate the deliberate use of police personnel as topics of orchestrated confrontations for on-line engagement, sensational content material or to demoralise officers.

The warning adopted a trending video exhibiting a Rapid Response Squad (RRS) patrol car, marked ‘RRS Attack 07’, driving towards the conventional route of visitors.

In an announcement on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, stated the officers have been responding to misery calls from motorists trapped within the visitors congestion and requesting police intervention to clear the obstruction.

According to the Command, the patrol group, led by an Inspector of Police, was detailed by the Control Room and was the closest out there police formation to the situation.

It defined that the officers needed to navigate by way of the other lane to achieve the purpose the place the obstruction originated and restore the free circulate of visitors.

The Command maintained that the motion of police autos towards the conventional route of visitors was permissible underneath legally recognised emergency and operational circumstances, together with responses to misery calls, pursuit of felony suspects and pressing safety operations.

It cited Regulation 158 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, which allows legislation enforcement officers driving underneath emergency conditions or whereas engaged in civil safety to ignore prescribed visitors indicators, offered they train due regard for the security of different street customers.

However, the police expressed concern over what they described because the confrontation, harassment and deliberate obstruction of the officers whereas finishing up the task.

The Command additionally condemned the actions of people who allegedly blocked the street, thereby stopping different motorists from accessing it.

It stated such conduct infringed on the rights of different street customers and amounted to obstruction of law enforcement officials performing their lawful duties underneath Section 98 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020.

While acknowledging residents’ rights to demand accountability and criticise police conduct, the Command insisted that such actions have to be exercised responsibly and inside the confines of the legislation.

It added that it remained open to real complaints, constructive criticism and bonafide public scrutiny however wouldn’t condone intimidation, harassment, provocation or obstruction of officers.

“The Command will continue to protect the rights of citizens while ensuring that its personnel are accorded the necessary respect and cooperation in the discharge of their lawful responsibilities,” the assertion stated.

“The Command also cautions social media content creators against deliberately provoking, harassing, or obstructing Police personnel in the discharge of their duties for the purpose of generating sensational online content or demoralising officers. The use of Police personnel as subjects of deliberately orchestrated confrontations for online engagement is unacceptable. Henceforth, the Command will not tolerate such conduct, and anyone found culpable of committing an offence in this regard will be made to face the full weight of the law.”

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Tijani Fatai, reiterated the Command’s dedication to skilled, responsive and accountable policing.

He assured residents that the police would proceed to guard lives and property, keep public order and make sure the free motion of individuals and autos throughout the state.