As we continue to push for Police Reforms, Nigerian actor, Gideon Okeke, has narrated his own story.

The ‘Tinsel’ actor posted videos on Instagram detailing how he was manhandled by men of the Nigerian Police Force while he was on his way to act as an MC at the Johnnie Walker music concert which held on December 8.

Gideon said he was involved in a minor accident with one Mrs Mosunmola Ilori and her niece and even while the both of them were already in agreement, he asked for assistance from the Policemen but they instead rounded them up and inflicted injuries on them.

He wrote on Instagram:

 I AM NOT A MERE STATISTIC.
Yesterday, after I had finished from a scheduled meeting with @charlesotudor I left the Eko Hotel and joined the gradually building traffic leading on to Lekki.
Only a few minutes from my meeting, had I unfortunately run into a minor collision with another driver, Mrs Mosunmola Ilori, at the Lekki Phase 1 roundabout. We both inspected the damage(s), conferred and thought first, to get off the road for oncoming traffic.

Just less than 10feet away from all this were the Lastma and Police, sharing the police post at the roundabout.
All I asked, was their assistance (witnessed by Mrs Ilori) in getting some barricades off the road for us to park properly and this scenario I have just described, turned into a full blown fiasco, seeing 4 police officers pounce on me and 2 others on Mrs Ilori and her niece. I have come off this incident with stitches in my mouth and chin. Mrs Ilori as well, to the full glare and amazement of pedestrians and moving traffic, was ruffled up, beat, and dragged on the tarred ground. The Leading man here was one Officer IDEH DONATUS who severally pointed a gun in my chest.

I hereby humbly call on the executive governor of Lagos state, @akinwunmiambode the Vice President @profosinbajo the @policenglagos and its Officers, to kindly exercise the authority of your offices in addressing these civil injustices filed at the #MarokoPoliceStation

Myself, Mrs Ilori, her niece and every other Nigerian citizen, don’t need to feel vulnerable with the police. We appreciate them for their efforts in Protecting Lives and Property,but not for them to be THE THREAT!
THE VICTIMS LIST IS OPEN-ENDED.
POLICE BRUTALITY MUST STOP!
TAG THE STATE GOVERNOR
TAG THE POLICE COMMISSIONER
TAG THE NIGERIAN POLICE
TAG A PERSON OF INFLUENCE

Okeke added that he has decided to file a legal suit, stating they were not only a threat to his life but his economy.

What this means: The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, probably only announced that Police reforms have begun only for political reasons and to save his office – taking hints from the fact that the DSS DG, Lawal Daura was sacked.

It means that the security architecture in the country, most particularly, the police needs a re-adjustment.

The police have been seen many times to be compromised in terms of standard. And so, while we fear for men who are not supposed to be seen with weapons, we are also not confident that men in uniform will do the right thing when it comes to protecting lives and property.

The reforms introduced by the IGP needs to be more serious, we really cannot continue this way.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram