This is not the best time for coloration of events. The ‘hide and seek’ game is no more interesting. You can not allow your boys to act carelessly and still appeal to emotions of victims through consolation visits.
Let me clearly state that the visit of government’s representative and the head of police in Osun who is leading an institution of carefree police officers who have escaped his web of discipline is very unnecessary.
We have witnessed and recorded more than four careless shots in 2022. These shots have made children’ orphans, women widows and most cases held relatives of victims in their grips of tragedies. Dear CP Olokode, justice will be more appreciated than consolation visits.
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Discipline is very essential in every institution. The absence of discipline in a police institution will promote arbitrary use of arms and amunitions. When police officers know that they have in position a head who does not care about discipline, they tend to act carelessly, putting the society they ought to protect in danger.
There must be consequences and adequate punishment for every misuse of power. Every derailed officer must understand that he or she must face consequences. CP Olokode must not only engage in consolation visits, he must prove to us all that he is capable, functioning and responsible. Enough is enough.
The consolation visit is unnecessary, vain, unacceptable and justifies the position of many that the leadership of Osun State Police Command is not interested in justice. What happened yesterday does not require robostic or scientific investigations to tackle. A citizen of the state was allegedly killed by the police. He was buried amidst tears and absolute sadness.
Relatives and sympathizers who attended the funeral decided to engage in a rally. The same police who allegedly killed their loved one molested them into silence. In the course of intimidating aggrieved citizens and sympathizers, a police officer reportedly shot The Nation’s correspondent and a pupil. The police also arrested a reporter infront of the Correspondent Chapel.
Despite agitations from all quarters, the police kept quiet and did not react on the sad event. They did not release any statement. They did not identify the squad that visited the rally ground. They did not also identify the shooter. The police head, CP Olokode only paid a consolation visit to the injured journalist.
Yes, he visited the ‘shot’ journalist and abandon the ‘shooting’ police officer. That is CP Olokode’s style. He pampers the offenders and consoles the victims. This style is unacceptable and unknown to the tents of justice.
A statement explaining how the event took place, identities of police officers most importantly the officer who fired the shot would have been better and more preferable than the consolation visit. It will be a grave injustice if the government and the police do not fish out the officer who fired the shot. Like many others, this sad event will be discussed for a while and we all will forget that it ever happened.
The victims will bear the burnts while the officer who fired the shot will still be free and in service. CP Olokode owes us explanation on how he wants to run the police institution without ridiculing the sensibilities of the people. Who fired the shot? We need answers not consolation visits.
By Sodiq Adewale Chocomilo (Within Nigeria Online Newspaper)