Angry mob attack police constable in Akwa Ibom

An angry mob has attacked a police constable in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, apparently in reaction to alleged police extortion and harassment in the area.

A Facebook user, Assam Uwana, posted a video clip of the incident on the social media site. He said it happened on Tuesday. He did not, however, mention the exact location in Eket where it happened.

The video showed the mob pounding on the unidentified constable.

“You wan do police work, dem go kill you today,” a background voice in the clip shouted in Pidgin English. “Una see person for road, una go dey do anyhow.”

“This community police na dem bad pass,” the voice added, indicating the operative may be a special constable.

The mob forced the constable to sit on the ground by the roadside. He crawled and eventually stood up and wobbled around.

“Come on, follow your people, dey go. Go that side!” the background voice ordered the humiliated man, who was seen walking away from the mob with his uniform torn.

“Dem go kill you. You wan carry police work chop,” the voice shouted.

Mr Uwana, the Facebook user who posted the video, said in a comment that accompanied the clip that the police were extorting and harassing residents of Eket.

“The rate at which the police, in connivance with those they call community police, extort and harass people in Eket, I think something needs to be drastically done about it because when the people have their excesses to the brim and revolt, it won’t be a joke.

“Eket is one of the civilised towns in Akwa Ibom and the police cannot behave like animals,” Mr Uwana said.

When our reporter contacted him on Thursday, the Divisional Police Officer in Eket, Nelly Martis, declined to comment on the incident.

“It is not my place to confirm anything to you, I am sorry,” Mr Martis said in response to our reporter’s enquiry.

PREMIUM TIMES also contacted the police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom, Timfon John, who requested that the video clip be forwarded to her. Hours after our reporter forwarded the clip to her, she had yet to comment on the incident.

Special constables

The Nigeria Police Force has been recruiting special constables to assist the regular police in detecting and fighting crime. They are deployed to several communities across Nigeria.

“They will perform duties like crime detection, prevention, and settling low-level civil disputes and petty crimes.

“Sensitise, reassure and advise the public on public safety, crime prevention and security tips; deal with minor offences and social vices, as well as assist in traffic management and school safety duties.

“Work with the community, schools and young people, business communities, religious bodies, cultural groups, community-based associations, recreational centres and hospitality businesses towards crime control,” the then-Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mohammed Aliyu, said in 2021 of the duties of the special constables.

The operative attacked by the mob in Eket appears to be a special constable.