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With the latest round of protest to #EndSARS, Nigerians need to know the origin of the rogue unit that has served to terrorise a large section of the populace, especially young people.
You can read the whole shaleye on @thecableng : https://bit.ly/34Iuk9N
You can read the whole shaleye on @thecableng : https://bit.ly/34Iuk9N
@PoliceNG has a history of extrajudicial murders.
One of the most notorious was on 6/9/92 when an @HQNigerianArmy colonel, Israel Ridnam, was at a traffic jam caused by a police checkpoint in Lagos.
One of the most notorious was on 6/9/92 when an @HQNigerianArmy colonel, Israel Ridnam, was at a traffic jam caused by a police checkpoint in Lagos.
Col. Rindam got out of his car to ascertain what the problem was, and was promptly shot to death by the policemen at the checkpoint.
He was in mufti, but his beret was on his dashboard, so upon realising they had killed a soldier, the murderous policemen took to their heels.
He was in mufti, but his beret was on his dashboard, so upon realising they had killed a soldier, the murderous policemen took to their heels.
Col. Rindam’s murder was one in a series of murders by police officers. On 15/5/91, Nwogu Okere, a building contractor, was killed by policemen who trailed him to a petrol station in Gbagada, Lagos.
On 27/5/91, Andy Esiri, Kayode Oladimeji, and US-based athlete, Ndubuisi “Dele” Ojo were killed when policemen opened fire at them at a checkpoint while they were travelling in Esiri’s car.
#EndSARS
#EndSARS
Ganiyu Yekini, a danfo driver, was shot dead by a policeman at a checkpoint over a ₦10 bribe in February 1992.
A 52-year old widow, Fidelia Oguonu, was murdered by a police constable at a checkpoint at Oba Junction, Anambra State on 20/9/92.
A 52-year old widow, Fidelia Oguonu, was murdered by a police constable at a checkpoint at Oba Junction, Anambra State on 20/9/92.
The difference between Esiri, Oguonu, Ojo, Oladimeji and many others on the one hand, and Rindam on the other, was that Rindam had men with guns who could respond on his behalf, and respond they did.
The fallout of @HQNigerianArmy's retaliation to Col. Rindam’s murder was the redeployment of Superintendent Simeon Midenda from Benin to Lagos, and the reconstitution of the “best” of the three anti-robbery units in Lagos at the time into the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
But the key thing is that Midenda’s action did not punish the specific policemen who had murdered Random, Esiri, Oguonu, Ojo, Oladimeji, and indeed others before them, or since.
Cue, a culture of policemen murdering people with impunity.
Cue, a culture of policemen murdering people with impunity.
Last year, 1007 civilians were killed by the police in #Nigeria.
142 of them died from wounds inflicted by “accidental discharge”. 29 were students, 47 were passersby.
142 of them died from wounds inflicted by “accidental discharge”. 29 were students, 47 were passersby.
We've been here before.
All talk of scrapping SARS is likely to fall on deaf ears on account of the fact that senior officers and the leadership cadre of @PoliceNG get remittances from the junior officers who go out on the street to “hunt”.
All talk of scrapping SARS is likely to fall on deaf ears on account of the fact that senior officers and the leadership cadre of @PoliceNG get remittances from the junior officers who go out on the street to “hunt”.
