Stop portraying police in bad light, IGP warns filmmakers

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Baba, has cautioned film or skit makers who portray police officers in a bad light without applying and getting a permit letter for such portrayals to desist with immediate effect or face the full wrath of the law.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

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Baba pledged the commitment of the force to guarantee compliance with the law, adding that the FPRO had been directed to ensure prompt authorisation for all applications seeking usage of police items in movies.

He said such application would be granted in tandem with the extant laws and would portray good values, impress positively on the Nigerian public and be of value to the system.

Baba said the request must provide police officers with modern innovations to actively carry out policing duties and on-screen role models who would influence their lives and career as well as improve security mechanisms in Nigeria.

He also ordered the arrest and prosecution of persons or groups engaging in unauthorised sales of police uniforms and accoutrements.

The FPRO said the IGP had directed all commands, formations, the IGP Monitoring Unit, Provost Marshals and X-Squad to ensure the arrest and immediate prosecution of offenders within their jurisdiction in accordance with the law.

“I strongly believe that such sanity in movie production, regulation of sales, possession and usage of police uniforms and accoutrements will definitely impact positively on resuscitating moral values.

“It will correct wrong perceptions and ideologies towards commissioning of crimes in our society.

“It is obvious that this step will surely curb the proliferation of Police kits, uniforms and accoutrements and eventually reduce police impostors-induced crimes,” he said. (NAN)