When dealing with the Police ,you have to be extra careful, else that issue you take for granted ,could land you in jail!
If you are arrested for any reason ,before you take any action insist to call a Lawyer,a relative or a friend !You are entitled to it by the new Administration of Criminal Justice Law .
Insist to write your Statement your self !If you can not write, ensure you have a Lawyer with you !The easiest way to be convicted ,is to make a confessional statement .The Police can not force you to make a Statement and they can not harm you, except you a robber, kidnapper or you are found with guns .
Do not be forced for any reason to write what is not your voluntary statement .If the Police write your statement by themselves and they force you to sign ,do not sign under any circumstances If they threaten to throw you into the cell ,don’t be wary or be afraid ,it is better to go to the cell for one day ,than to spend years in prison ,based on a confessional statement that is not your will !
Do not sign as a Surety for some one on administrative bail ,except you can vouch for his character,else you are going to go through a harrowing experience ,if the person jumped bail .
When you approach a police check point ,be polite to the Police officers ,communicate in good English. If the Police Man is adamant ,look at his name tag and address him by his name ,he will be humbled .If he is in mufti ,politely ask him which unit ,he is from ,that will also humble him .When approaching a Police Check point at night ,put on your inner light and roll down when you approach the check point ,it will make things incredibly easy for you.
If a Police Man was to search your phone or laptop ask him to bring a search warrant .The Police Act ,Cap 19 ,LFN,2004,provides that the Police need a warrant signed by either a superior police officer (an Officer of the rank of ASP and above or a Magistrate) ,before they search your Chattel (Property). Your Phone and your Laptop are very private chattel ,where confidential information are stored and cannot be assessed by a Security Officer ,except with a Warrant.You also entitled to search a police officer ,before he searches you or your house or car !This is to ensure that you are not implicated and for the transparency of the process !If the Police insist tell them you want to call your Lawyer or the Officer-In-Charge of the X-squad .The X-squad is the Unit in the Police ,that is the Police of the Police .You can also try to get a video evidence of what is happening. It will help you.
If a Police Man that gets you on the road ask to transfer to an Account,do so quickly and get your account statements and give it to your Lawyer .If you have too much problem with the Police on the road ,google the phone number of the Police PRO. of your State ,they are on line and call him to explain your predicament. The PRO. will make the appropriate contact and the issue will be sorted out in minutes .
If you had any real security emergency,call the Police Control Room of your state and the Police will respond within the minutes.Do not believe the narrative that they will not come .Nigerians assume alot.There has never been a single time ,when I called the Police Control Room that Police did not respond. There are Police Protocols in place that make it impossible for them not to respond. If you were being harassed call the Police Control Room .The Commissioner of Police of a State ,listens to radio messages emanating from the Police Control Room and he directs affairs from time to time.Google the Police Control Room Number of your State.They are online.That of Edo State is 08037646272.
If a Police Man ask you for money for Bail ,tell him you will pay if he issues you a receipt .This will be a shocker to them.Except you are real criminal ,there is nothing to fear .Just stay on rights .BAIL IS FREE.
When dealing with complex and sensitive Police Matters get a Lawyer .You may not be able to swim through the murky waters of Complex Police Matters which can be intriguing,,technical and requires the weight of a Lawyer .There are just some things a Police Man can not do or say when a Lawyer is involved in a Matter.The Choice is yours pay less now or pay more later .
If a Police Officer misbehaves reach the Nigeria Police Complaint Response Unit in Abuja on 08057000001,08057000002,(for calls ) and 08057000003 for SMS and whatssap.Ensure you have salients details like the date ,time ,place the incidence took place or the registration or serial number of the patrol vehicle .With those details ,they will be fished out !
Police Officers do not go on a beat except they are booked out by the Station Officer !Any other other duty not booked is illegal duty !Google the Police Control Room number of your state and save it on your phone ,it could save your life or your property!
Be polite to the Police when you see them ,do not be rude or presumptive about them .There are still very many Professional Police Officers .If you have had dealings with other Security Agencies in Nigeria,where they are cruel,callous,deceptive ,detain Citizens for days and some times months ,give you obnoxious and unreasonable bail conditions,you will now understand the meaning of the saying ,”The Police is your Friend “.
