Not everyone with dreadlocks, tattoos is cultist, says CP

Juliana Francis

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, yesterday, charged police personnel to desist from arresting people with dreadlocks or tattoos.

The CP stated this during the 'Stakeholders Accountability Platform', breakfast meeting held at Ikeja with some security stakeholders.

According to Muazu, “Not everyone seen with dreadlocks or tattoos is a cultist. I can decide to tattoo my hand or body, it doesn’t make me a cultists. Some people are even born with dreadlocks.”

This warning came amidst repeated violations of the rights of many citizens in Lagos, who had been arrested by Anti-Cultism Unit because they had dreadlocks or tattoos.

Indeed, it was policemen from the anti-cultism unit that shot a South African returnee Kolade Johnson to death, while attempting to arrest a young man that had a dreadlock. The killing of Johnson compelled Muazu to make major changes in the unit.

The stakeholders, comprising Civil Society Organisations (CSO), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and others, had frank discussions around police abuses, need for the various police units to be alive to their duties of treating public complaints and giving feedback and need for synergy between police and CSOs/community etc.

The breakfast meeting was supported by Nigerian Policing Programme (NNP).  Chairman of the 'Stakeholders Accountability Platform,' Okechukwu Nwanguma, who is also the coordinator, Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN), noted: “Through the Forum, stakeholders have had a formalized and structured engagement with the Lagos State Police Command, which has enabled us to gain better understanding of the workings of the various accountability mechanism and the feedback system.”

Muazu, who seized the opportunity to urge everyone to take issues that had to do with gender based violence with all seriousness, noted that it was now a source of national worry and touches all Nigerians.

The Policing Consultant to NPP, Mr. Austin Iwa, a retired Assistant-Inspector-General of Police (AIG), who was at the meeting, said that CSO and stakeholders must begin to hold government responsible for safety and security.

His words: “Safety and security is the responsibility of the government. If factors that influence crimes are listed, you’ll find out that police are not part of the influencer. If there’s a security problem in a state, it means the government in that state has failed. They had failed in doing what they were supposed to do. Government is supposed to give direction on safety and security. CSO should be to question government, asking them what they are doing concerning certain issues. When government gives directions, police can then tackle the problem.”

Mr Lucas Koyejo, Coordinator NHRC, Lagos, buttressing Iwa’s point, said: “Crime is a social problem, but can be tackled by government policies.”

The CP made commitments to deal with concerns raised by the forum. The meeting, which was attended by all heads of policemen units, was also attended by over 15 police officers and over 35 groups in Lagos.