The Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi has explained when a police officer can shoot at an unarmed citizen.
Adejobi gave the explanation in a recent Twitter post.
His explanation came after a Twitter user, Ehisreal2 condemned how a policeman opened fire on a suspect around a university environment.
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Ehisreal said on Thursday:
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“I was eating at a restaurant close to a university today. suddenly saw two police men chasing a guy, the said guy was running furiously. one of the police man shot at the direction where the boy was running. omo..I was baffled. But why shoot at an unarmed man?”
Answering the above question,
the PRO asserted that the action was legal.
He, however, clarified that the police can shoot at a fleeing suspect.
Such a person, when caught, said, will face conviction and due punishment.
He said:
“Yes. You can shoot at an unarmed man, if he is a fleeing suspect who has committed a felony, or inmate who escaped from a lawful custody, or he had committed a felonious offence, which upon conviction, he would be sentenced to death or life imprisonment, etc.”
