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Policemen On “Stop And Search” And “Routine Patrol” Must Be In Uniform, Not Mufti — Force PRO
The police said wearing a mufti during a patrol or stop and search by its personnel is a breach of the code of conduct of the force, and should be curtailed.
Force Public Relations Officer, Oluwamuyiwa Adejobi, said this on X account on Monday.
Mr Adejobi was replying to an X user, Celebrity Tailor, who said, “Just look at the audacity of a policeman on mufti, so what if he was in uniform?”
The X user was commenting on the viral video of a man who was stopped by some men in mufti who claimed to be policemen From ZIB Zone 2 at Victoria Island, Lagos.
In the short video, the man who said he works with Naija FM, was stopped by the officers, who asked for his permit for his tinted car.
The man, however, argued that the jurisdiction of the police to ask for the permit had been cancelled two years ago. He also said the officers were moving with an unregistered vehicle.
“It’s a factory-tinted car, and I can’t remember the last time police was seen asking for a tinted permit, because that has been cancelled two years ago,” he said.
The media personnel requested the identity of the policeman and refused to attend to them based on their appearance and the current kidnapping situation in the country.
“I am not even sure you are a police officer, there is kidnapping everywhere I can not allow you to enter, show me your ID card, look at how you are dressed, there is kidnapping up and down’ he protested.
But the policemen claimed they were on an undercover operation.
No uniform, no stop-and-search
Mr Adejobi said the police had ordered and announced that any police officer who does not wear his or her uniform during a patrol or stop and search should not perform such duty.
He said the behaviour poses a threat to the citizenry and does not represent the dignity of the force properly.
You will recall that we have ordered and announced that any policeman embarking on routine patrol or stop and search must be in uniform, properly dressed, and easily identified. It’s not ideal to carry out a stop and search in mufti. The audacity to misbehave or carry out… https://t.co/8J0Dxep9qo
— Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi (@Princemoye1) January 29, 2024
“You will recall that we have ordered and announced that any policeman embarking on routine patrol or stop and search must be in uniform, properly dressed, and easily identified. It’s not ideal to carry out a stop and search in mufti. The audacity to misbehave or carry out unprofessional conduct comes when you know your identity is hidden and unknown. I still reiterate that policemen on stop and search and routine patrol must be in uniform,” he said.
Mr Adejobi said an officer in mufti simply signified that he was on undercover or surveillance.
He further stressed that officers on surveillance or undercover are not to be seen using long-range guns or rifles.
“That is the standard in the police. Policemen in mufti are supposed to be on surveillance or undercover and not to be seen with long-range guns or rifles. This is what our DPOs and HODs should emphasise and enforce to bring sanity and standardisation,” the police spokesperson said.
Mr Adejobi said had said on Saturday on his X account that the men were indeed officers of the Nigerian Police and traced to Zone 2.
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