It has been alleged that some members of the Ajiwe Police Division in Ajah, Lagos State, are always under the influence of alcohol while on duty or patrol.
Punch visited the police headquarters after the new killing of a pregnant legal counselor, Bolanle Raheem, by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi, who was attached to the station.
Another resident, Gafaru Buraimoh, who was on his way to buy fuel, had also been shot to death by an inspector from the same division named Imeh Johnson.
Punch claims that upon closer inspection, some of them were observed drinking alcohol from sachets while heavily armed. According to the publication, one of the officers was seen with a glass cup of beer and allegedly drank it several times while sitting next to a barbershop in a building next to the station.
In addition, a policeman was allegedly seen drinking canned alcohol with a pistol strapped to his waist while another group of officers took cover under a shed near the station.
Additionally, it was reported that while some of the alcoholic beverages were allegedly made available to officers by vendors located near the police station, other officers preferred to avoid prying eyes by walking a distance to visit other merchants.
A Punch correspondent reported that a pretty officer beckoned him to come after closely observing him for more than an hour. His body’s stench of alcohol indicated that he was intoxicated upon close contact.
He reportedly sounded rambling and asked the journalist for N200. He took the money he was given to a vendor, bought a sachet of alcohol, and took a sip right away.
A motor park behind the Ajah Bridge, where Raheem was shot to death, was also said to have been frequented by the police, according to reports.
According to Soliu Adekanmbi, a resident, some of the police officers are well-known for their open alcohol abuse.
He said;
No one is observing the officers as they carry out their duties. It appears that no one is able to confront them. While on duty, the majority of them are always carrying alcoholic packs. In uniform, they consume them here under the bridge. Everyone knows this, but no one can say anything because the police have not done anything about it.
In addition, it was discovered that the majority of police officers had refused to be transferred after spending a significant amount of time in the region.
The publication was informed by a chairman of the community development association that this has contributed to their excesses in the community.
He added,
The majority of police officers have made this neighborhood their permanent home. The majority of them rise through the ranks to come here to retire. Because of this, they are now beyond control. Between 15 and 20 years have passed for some in the station. They manipulate transfers whenever they occur. They are aware of who to choose. Even at Langbasa Police Station, there is only one Supol Sunday and one Inspector Yomi, each with up to ten years of experience. They are reluctant to leave the station for financial gain. They changed the DPO after the first incident. However, the incident on Sunday demonstrates that it is not about changing the DPO but rather the officers.”
Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, made the following remarks regarding the development:
The Police Act 2020 makes it very clear that police officers should not drink alcohol. It says that police officers can’t drink alcohol while they’re on duty. It also imposes penalties on those who sell or offer alcohol to on-duty police officers. In Nigeria, drug use and abuse are very common among security agencies, including the police. Armed police officers enter beer parlors, sit, and consume alcohol. Although this is against the law, it is now a common sight.
“There could be no alternate method for making sense of what has befallen the lady (Raheem) request than that the official acted affected by liquor, since how would you make sense of that a cop could basically pull a not furnished? trigger on lady?
“The necessity of conducting a psychological evaluation of police officers, particularly those who handle weapons, to ensure that they are mentally stable was one of the issues that came up following #EndSARS. However, this did not occur. Even the procedures for hiring people have been hacked. Because the recruitment policy is evaded, unfit individuals are recruited into the police. There is the requirement for a certified obligation to execute changes that address these issues, as well as skillful initiative both at the level of the police and at the political level.”
In addition, Lagos police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin stated that it is illegal to drink while on duty in response to this.
He added,
“It is a disciplinary offense for a police officer to be drunk while on duty, and there are established procedures for dealing with such a person. The DPO or any other officer who discovers the same is obligated to discipline him.
