Nigerians Ask Police To Allow Recording Of Arrested Suspects As Evidence

‎Nigerians have called on the Nigeria Police Force to reconsider its position on the filming of suspects apprehended by members of the public, arguing that video recordings made during arrests could help investigators establish facts and preserve evidence for possible prosecution. ‎

‎They made the call during a radio program, ETO ILU, on Fresh Fm Ilorin, Kwara State and monitored by NEWSMONGER. ‎ ‎

The reaction came in response to the recent warning by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, against jungle justice and the filming or circulation of videos of mob attacks. ‎

‎The IGP had warned that Nigerians who participate in, encourage, mobilise crowds for, film or circulate videos of mob killings could face criminal prosecution. ‎ ‎

Disu also directed Commissioners of Police across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat cases of jungle justice as homicide and ensure that those involved are identified, arrested and prosecuted. ‎ ‎

While reacting to the development, Nigerians agreed that jungle justice should be condemned and stopped completely, describing the practice of beating, torturing or killing suspects without trial as unacceptable in a civilised society. ‎ ‎

However, they argued that the solution cannot rest solely on warning citizens against taking the law into their own hands. ‎ ‎

They said the police and other security agencies must also demonstrate that suspects handed over to them would be properly investigated and prosecuted where there is sufficient evidence. ‎

‎Some callers expressed frustration over what they described as repeated situations in which members of the public apprehend alleged criminals and hand them over to the police, only for such suspects to eventually return to the streets. ‎ ‎

They argued that such experiences create a dangerous loss of confidence in law enforcement and can make some members of the public believe that the only way to obtain justice is to punish suspects themselves. ‎ ‎

The callers therefore appealed to the police to distinguish between filming a mob killing or humiliating a suspect and lawfully recording the circumstances surrounding an arrest. ‎ ‎

They maintained that when members of the public apprehend a suspected criminal, a video showing the arrest, the recovery of suspected stolen property or other relevant circumstances could potentially assist investigators in establishing what happened. ‎ ‎

They stressed that such recordings should not be used to pronounce suspects guilty or encourage public punishment, but could instead be preserved and handed over to investigators as part of the available evidence. ‎ ‎

The callers also urged the police to educate citizens on what they should do when they apprehend a suspect, including how to safely hand the person over to law enforcement without assaulting, humiliating or endangering the suspect. ‎ ‎

The callers maintained that, the way forward is not to permit jungle justice or to undermine police authority, but to build a system in which citizens can confidently hand suspects over to the police knowing that investigations will be conducted properly and that genuine offenders will face the law. ‎ ‎

They maintained that public cooperation with the police can only be sustained when citizens believe that justice will follow an arrest, stressing that restoring confidence in the justice system is as important as punishing those who engage in jungle justice. ‎