Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP, Benjamin Hundeyin, has said that personnel of the Nigeria Police will always pay attention to the dressings, beards and appearances of the citizens in fighting crimes.
Newsonline reports that the Lagos PPRO argued that available statistics on crime has proven a connection between appearance and crime and has brought positive result in crime fighting.
SP Benjamin Hundeyin statement followed backlash from citizens on an exercise he said he carried out on Thursday to have first-hand information on police extortion of citizens in Ikeja Lagos.
Benjamin wrote that in the two checkpoints where he was stopped by Policemen, he was asked to ‘give something’ but he refused and was not delayed or abused by the officers.
The Lagos PPRO added that all through his undercover engagement in exercise he was cheerful and respected the officers on duty.
He further advised, “Note: They did not recognize me; neither did I identify myself. It never got to that. Papers weren’t even asked for. I am positive there are many people with similar experiences out there. Different strokes for different folks, I know. One thing is sure, however.
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“Respect is reciprocal. Appreciate those who stand out there all day and night for lesser pay. Don’t be condescending. Don’t be unnecessarily aggressive. Don’t be docile too. Always be firm with your rights. And don’t resort to taking the laws in your hands.
“There isn’t Utopia anywhere. Report the few bad eggs and we will continue to do internal cleansing. Thought to share my social experiment. Will tinker with the variables next time.”
The Lagos Police spokesman’s statement was interpreted by the citizens as an act to cover up for the officers who they accused of brutalizing and extorting citizens in every party of the country.
Debo Adedayo, a comedian, and popular skit maker disagreed with SP Benjamin, on the methodology he applied in carrying out his undercover exercise.
Debo, popularly called Mr Macaroni, who was also a victim of police brutality said, “Appreciate those who stand out there day and night for lesser pay”. Dear SP Ben, Nigerians are not having it any easier!! Some of those your men harass and extort are also earning lesser pay or no pay at all!!! This your angle is why Your men continue to oppress the people.
“And No!! Your survey is not accurate!!! As a security agent, Your facial looks will give you away 70% of the time! Why not add some little swaga to it?? I can arrange dreadlocks for you. Have some nice tats on. Or put a laptop somewhere visible in your car old chains nko? Were you wearing some of them? And what type of car were you driving? How about you also go with a couple of your guys too? Or you and just your babe? Bros, you have no idea what Nigerian Youths really face in the hands of Police officers!!
“And no my dear SP Ben! You have more Bad eggs than good!!! Let’s not pretend that 90% of the roadblocks set up are not out there to extort Nigerians of their hard-earned money!! Most Nigerians see police officers on the road and feel threatened instead of feeling secured.
“Not everyone who drives a car in Nigeria is rich. For most, it is a necessity other than luxury. Some have not even finished paying for the car… some others go finish work, use the same car to dey pick passengers after work and police go stop am collect the money from am because “Lesser Pay”.
“We were advocating for these things for you people. We still are. But Police officers still continue to oppress and brutalize us. All we want from the Police is to do better and understand that we are human beings like them. We are all going through Life!!”
Also, a Nollywood actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju, who disagreed with Benjamin Hundeyin said, “Please carry out this experiment again with dreadlocks or a hairstyle considered “crazy”. Have other guys with you in the car. Throw in a tattoo and ensure you’re driving an SUV or a car with factory-fitted tints (only at the back). We will wait for your feedback sir.”
Reacting to the backlash from citizens, celebrities and social media influencers, SP Benjamin wrote, “Take it or leave it, based on available crime statistics, Police will always pay more attention to certain things, including appearances. This has often yielded positive results. The extra attention should not be antagonized. Prove your mettle and move on.”
