My men’ll kill in self defence, Mbu insists

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Lagos, Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Mbu, has said that there is no big deal in the number of people policemen under his command can kill in self-defence.

He said since policemen were also human beings, they should be ready to take revenge on any violent group(s) that might attack them or other innocent citizens.

Mbu spoke with some journalists in Olorunsogo, Ogun State, during the inauguration of the Olorunsogo II Power Station by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The journalists had approached the AIG, who led policemen to provide security for the President at the event, to clarify the controversial statement credited to him that 20 civilians would be hacked down for every policeman killed.

Mbu on Friday said the media account was mischievous and contrary to what he said in Abeokuta.

He also said that he contemplated arresting the journalists who wrote the reports to show proof that he indeed said what was reported.

Curiously, however, Mbu restated the media account he had tried to debunk.

He said, “I still stand by what I said. And what I said is very clear: that if any violent group attacks my policemen, my policemen should attack them violently.”

“If any violent group attacks a law-abiding citizen in a bid to cause injury or cause harm, the police should repel and save that law-abiding citizen because we have the powers to do so.”

“If hoodlums or touts decide to be lawless; carrying knives, carrying illegal firearms and shooting at my policemen, if they shoot at my policemen and they are a hundred or 200, my policemen will not be looking at them. They will reply back in self-defence.”

“The number I kill is immaterial because a policeman is also a human being.”

...Punch