Juliana Francis
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), today, warned that henceforth, movie and skit makers, using the Nigeria Police Force uniform to act without authorisation, will be arrested and prosecuted.
This was stated in a police release signed by the Force Spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi.
According to Adejobi, the Force has expressed concern over the incessant and authorised possession and use of Police uniforms and accoutrements by some individuals, movies, and skit makers, as well as the illegal sale of Police materials and accoutrements by traders in shops, open stores not approved or recognised by Police authority.
He added: “The IGP has equally frowned at the demeaning way movie makers and skit makers portray the Police institution in their movies and skits, using the police uniform without recourse to the provision of Section 251 of the Criminal Code law, and Section 133 of the Penal Code Law which criminalise such unauthorised use with accompanying necessary sanctions. The IGP, therefore, charged all commands and formations, the IGP Monitoring Unit, Provost marshals, and X-Squad, to arrest and immediately prosecute, in accordance with the law, all persons or groups of persons engaging in the illegal sales of police uniforms and accouterments within their jurisdictions, while film or skit makers who portray the Nigeria Police Force officers in a bad light, without applying for, and being duly issued a permit letter for such portrayals, to desist with immediate effect or face the full wrath of the law.”
The IGP, noted Adejobi, had further reiterated the commitment of the Force to guaranteeing compliance with the law, as the Force spokesman had been charged with the task of ensuring prompt authorisation for all applications for approvals of usage of police items in movies, in tandem with the extant laws and which will portray good values, impress positively on the Nigerian public, add value to the system, provide police officers with modern innovations to actively carry out policing duties and on-screen role models who will influence their lives and career; and consequently improve security mechanisms in Nigeria.
“The IGP strongly believes that such sanity in the movies production, regulation of sales, possession, and usage of police uniforms and accouterments will definitely impact positively on resuscitating moral values and correcting wrong perceptions and ideologies towards commissioning of crimes in our society. It is obvious that this step will surely curb the proliferation of Police kits, uniforms, and accoutrements and eventually reduce police impostors-induced crimes in our society,” stated Adejobi.
