Rights activist and the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, has knocked the Nigeria Police Force over the suspension of two female officers, for using TikTok.
On Friday, the NPF suspended two supernumerary Police Officers, Obaze Blessing and Obaze Uju, over misconduct and violation of social media policy.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this via his Twitter handle.
Speaking in the video he shared on his Twitter page, Adejobi said that the two female cops had “portrayed themselves in the viral video and other videos as undisciplined and unprofessional in contravention of the police social media policy.”
In the viral video captioned “sisters that slay together, work together”, both officers are featured in a montage of pictures where they are seen dressed in their uniforms, bikini, and casual wear.
Reacting in a Facebook post late Saturday, Sowore noted that the Nigeria Police was living in the past. He added that the police would have spared male officers.
The suspension of these police ladies by the Nigeria Police Force is an illegal and oppressive act against the police officers, I keep reiterating that Nigeria security forces are living in the past and are highly chauvinistic. If these were male police officers on TikTok no one would touch them. The police force must rescind their illegal suspension and recall them back with immediate effect.
However, the police in its statement also stated, “It is equally important to mention that in line with Section 25 (2) (3) of the Police Act, 2020 and the Nigeria police guidelines for recruitment, promotion, the discipline of supernumerary police, 2013, issued by the IG, the mode of dressing for SPY police mandates its SPY officers above the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police not to wear uniforms.
“Similarly, extant laws delineate the supernumerary uniform. It states that they must be on their approved uniform, ash-colored shirt with ‘SPY’ inscriptions all over, over black with shoulder badge carrying the word ‘supernumerary’. Hence, supernumerary officers adorning police black, neon blue or camouflage uniforms run afoul of the law and would be adequately sanctioned.”
The suspension has met condemnations from several notable personalities. Veteran singer, John Asiemo, popularly known as Daddy Showkey, spoke in defense of two female police officers, saying the video could help reframe attract young people towards the police force for good.
A former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Shehu Sani, also reacted via his Twitter handle on Saturday, appealing to the police to spare the ladies.
“Dear IG, please forgive those two suspended female police officers. I can help in preaching and counselling them not to repeat. When I saw the clip, I was momentarily over shocked; but it’s forgivable,” Sani tweeted.
