Cleric calls for mental health tests on police officers

Olayide Babatunde of the Glorious and Divine Calling Ministry in Ayobo, Lagos has stressed the need for mental evaluation of policemen.

Mr Babatunde made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to him, the government should take drastic steps in establishing centres where policemen can check their mental health before discharging their duties.

“Some police officers and men have tattoos all over their bodies and they carry POS machines around arresting young men they see on dreads or driving cars with tinted glasses.

“Most of them are already high on heroin and Marijuana before going about discharging their duties and it has really dented the image of the good ones among them.

“The government should also carry out blood tests on every policeman and whoever fails the test should be dismissed from the force.

“There are lots of jobless responsible graduates out there who are sane and willing to work for this country,’’ he said.

Speaking on the EndSARS protest in 2020, Mr Babatunde said that it dampened the morale of the police.

According to him, the police became scared of society and did not want to be identified with the profession.

“For instance, if you go to a police station to report a case, the police will tell you to go home and settle it among yourself amicably.

“They ask those who come to lodge complaints that ‘are you not the ones who said you don’t want the police anymore?’

“The security operatives are scared for their lives that such occurrence will happen again and in the process, neglected their lawful duties.’’

The pastor appealed to the government to continually sanitise the police and take into consideration what the protesters were agitating for.

“The government should work on what the protesters agitated for in terms of unlawful extortion by the police and the likes.

He urged the police to be more professional in discharging their duties.

(NAN)