Police officers engaging in the public assault of citizens and open extortion of motorists will have no hiding place as Nigerians have rejected the plea by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to stop exposing police misconduct on social media. Nigerians who spoke with our reporter vowed to continue sharing evidence of police misconduct online, insisting that social media is the only viable platform for seeking justice. They also expressed frustration that some police officers continue to use brute force to extort Nigerians despite repeated warnings from the IGP.
Recall that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, recently called on Nigerians to desist from reporting misconduct by police officers on social media and instead direct their complaints to the Police Complaints Response Unit.
An elder statesman from Elelenwo Community, Williams Wobo, told our reporter that sharing incidents of police misconduct on social media often results in swift action and disciplinary measures against erring officers.
“When the misconduct of a police officer is displayed on social media, action is taken quickly, and the officer is disciplined. Without such evidence, the police often deny wrongdoing. That is why it is important to document incidents before lodging a formal complaint,” he explained.
Similarly, Dorathy Johnpaul, a teacher at a private school, expressed doubt about the reliability of internal investigations by the police.
“The Commissioner of Police, being one of them, might sweep the case under the carpet and simply caution the erring officer. At the end of the day, justice will not be served. That is why we cannot stop sharing police misconduct on social media,” she said.
Adding his perspective, a legal practitioner, Higher King, clarified that no law in Nigeria prohibits citizens from posting evidence of police misconduct online. He argued that the IGP lacks the authority to dictate how citizens can express themselves and emphasized the importance of holding law enforcement accountable.
“There is no law that says crimes cannot be shared on social media. If officers are caught on the spot collecting bribes or harassing people, record and share it. That is the only way to prove your claims. If they want misconduct to remain private, then their good conduct should also not be publicized,” King emphasized.
He called on Nigerians to continue documenting both positive and negative behaviors by police officers to ensure accountability and fairness in the justice system.
