The Inspector General of Police, IGP Alkali Usman Baba, has ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of persons, or group of persons engaging in the unauthorized and illegal use and sale of Police uniforms,materials and accoutrements.
The order was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Force’s spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
TheFact Daily reports that the order follows concerns expressed by the Force over the incessant and unauthorised possession and use of police uniforms and accoutrements by some individuals, movies and skit makers, as well as the illegal sale of Police materials and accoutrements by traders in shops, open stores not approved nor recognized by police authority.
The statement also expressed the displeasure of the Police Chief at the demeaning manner in which movie makers and skit makers portray the Police institution in their movies and skits, using the police uniform without recourse to the provisions of Section 251 of the Criminal Code law, and Section 133 of the Penal Code Law, which criminalise such unauthorised use with accompanying necessary sanctions.
Consequent upon these concerns therefore, Adejobi said, the IGP has charged all commands and formations, the IGP Monitoring Unit, Provost marshals and X-Squad, to arrest and immediately prosecute, in accordance with the law, all offenders within their jurisdictions.
Furthermore, film or skit makers who portray the Nigeria Police Force officers in bad light, without applying for, and being duly issued a permit letter for such portrayals, are charged to desist with immediate effect or face the full wrath of the law.
To reiterate the commitment of the Force to guaranteeing compliance with the law, IGP Baba has charged the Force Public Relations Officer to ensure prompt authorisation of all applications for approvals of usage of police items in movies, in tandem with the extant laws, and providing such movies “portray good values, impress positively on the Nigerian public, add value to our system, provide police officers with modern innovations to actively carry out policing duties and on-screen role models who would influence their lives and career; and consequently improve security mechanisms in Nigeria”, the statement said.
“The Inspector-General of Police strongly believes that such sanity in movies production, regulation of sales, possession and usage of police uniforms and accoutrements will definitely impact positively on resuscitating moral values, and correcting wrong perceptions and ideologies towards commissioning of crimes in our society.
“It is obvious that this step will surely curb proliferation of police kits, uniforms and accoutrements and eventually reduce police impostors-induced crimes in our society”, Adejobi stated.
