The former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, on Thursday stated that according to the constitution, policemen have the right to kill in self-defence.
Also, he expressed displeasure over the killing of some policemen and burning of police stations during the #EndSARS protests.
Balogun speaking during his lecture at stakeholders meeting on a sensitization awareness campaign on community policing held at the Local Government Service Commission, Abere.
He also faulted the communication gap between the police and the community for the bad trend the #EndSARS protest took.
According to him “The law stated that police should not kill unjustly but they have the right to defend themselves. The #EndSARS is a very bad nostalgic and we pray it does not come back. Police stations were attacked. Policemen were killed. Policemen were roasted.
“I was shedding tears when I read that policeman was roasted. How did the man allow that to happen forgotten that self-defence is the first law of nature? You have a right to defend yourself and to defend other people from being attacked. I’m not saying you should be killing people, but if anybody wants to kill you, or kill another person close to you, you have the right to kill in self-defence. Please, do not forget that you have the right to defend yourself.
“There is no reason why we should allow the communication gap between the police and the community because if we do, we will be saying goodbye to peace and we will be inviting anarchy.
“That communication gap that led to this EndSARS pandemonium could have been avoided if community policing had been put in place. Community policing would have removed all rancour that would have led to the protest.”
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