Obstructing police officers in the discharge of their duties is an offense

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, has described as “worrisome” the obstruction of operatives of the force from discharging their duties. 

In a statement posted by Hundeyin on his verified X page on Friday, the PPRO lamented how “police-branded patrol vehicles are stopped at the gate by the estate security men” for them to carry out “checks.”

He noted that such an act would not be condoned anymore, as it is a crime punishable by law.

Hundeyin made the remarks while responding to an X user who alleged that “Men of the Nigeria Police Force are putting our lives in danger in Abraham Adesanya Estate.”

An X user identified simply as AYbenson in a statement on X on Thursday said, “At about 10:48 p.m. on April 24th, policemen in uniform in two branded trucks from Ogombo Division forcefully gained access to our estate through the designated gate for estate residents.

“As soon as the security man on duty tried to carry out the due diligence in checks, they jumped out, numbering about 10, and descended on him with their guns to the extent of breaking his teeth and injuring him.”

Reacting to the claims, Hundeyin said “It is sad and worrisome that when an estate resident calls the police to respond to an ongoing incident within an estate, police officers in full uniform and police-branded patrol vehicles are stopped at the gate by the estate security men to ‘carry out due diligence in checks,’ to use your exact words.

“Obstructing police officers in the discharge of their duties is an offense. Resisting arrest is also an offense. Minimal force will be applied where necessary.”

He added that “for other claims about actions of police officers residing in the estate, it is curious that the estate residents association has never called the attention of the Lagos State Police Command to them, especially considering that we have an open channel of communication with all CDAs and estate residents associations mostly through their Chief Security Officers.”

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