Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) has called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Usman Alkali Baba, to implement the recommendations of the judicial panel of inquiry that probed the EndSARS protests as a means of ending extra judicial killings by police officers.
LERSA, in a letter addressed to the governor, condemned the recent killing of Mrs Omobolanle Raheem, a lawyer, and Mr. Gafaru Buraimoh by officers attached to Ajah Police Station.
In the letter signed by LERSA president, Olorogun James Emadoye and General Secretary, Gbemi Adelekan, the body advised that on-duty police officers should not be allowed to consume, much less abuse alcoholic beverages and/or other proscribed drugs/substances.
“One of the recommendations after the ENDSARS protest was the need to do psychological/psychiatric evaluation of police officers, most especially those handling firearms, to ensure that they are mentally capable of discharging their statutory duties effectively.
“Another recurring recommendation is the need to ensure that on-duty police officers are not allowed to consume, much less abuse alcoholic beverages and/or other proscribed drugs / substances.
“There have also been suggestions that electronic surveillance equipment like close circuit camera, dashboard camera and indeed body-worn camera be deployed to keep the personnel of the Nigeria Police under constant monitoring and by so doing, eliminate the seemingly intractable problems of extra-judicial killings. Unfortunately, the failure of the authorities to implement some of these recommendations, continue to lead to the recurrence of such barbaric acts by some Police officers,” LERSA said in the statement.
The body also called on both Sanwo-Olu, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, and the Inspector-General of Police, to personally ensure that some of the recommendations are implemented to stem the tide of extra judicial killings by police officers.
“Mr. Governor, we would be most grateful for your expeditious intervention with the Inspector General of Police, on this matter. We trust that your Government with the Police hierarchy will put an immediate stop to these extra judicial killings that is becoming a regular occurrence in our peaceful community of Eti-Osa, Lekki,” LERSA said.
