Former IGP, Tafa Balogun says Police have right to kill in self-defence

Former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, on Thursday said policemen have the constitutional rights to self-defence in the face of danger but were not allowed to kill unjustly.

Police not allowed to kill unjustly, but has rights to self-defence

Speaking during stakeholders’ meeting on sensitisation awareness campaign on community policing held at the Local Government Service Commission, Abere, Osun State, Tafa Balogun said the law prohibited police from killing unjustly but have the right to defend themselves.

He expressed displeasure over the killing of some policemen and burning of police stations during the EndSARS protest.

“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 a policeman was roasted. How did the man allow that to happen forgotting that self-defence is a 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”, he said.

He also blamed the communication gap between the police and the community for the bad trend the EndSARS protest took.

He called for a cordial relationship between the police and the community, saying the gap has been the major causes of most of the protest against the police.

“There is no reason why we should allow a 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.

“Everyone of us believes that there should be a symbiotic relationship between the Nigeria Police and other security agencies and the entire Nigeria communities.

“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 totally removed all rancour that would have led to the protest,” Balogun stated.