Ibrahim Oladamola
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has said that it is not illegal for skit maker, Abdulgafar Ahmad, popularly known as Cute Abiola, to have used a police uniform in his skits.
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Recall that the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had on Thursday, said the comedian is being investigated and may be prosecuted for violating the provisions of the law “with regards to the use of uniforms”. He said that the skit maker used the police uniforms disrespectfully in two skits he posted recently.
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However, in a post shared on social media today July 28, Inibehe argued that “entertainers use military and police uniforms globally for their art and craft”. He argued that the case Adejobi wants to pursue may end up exposing the police to further public ridicule and judicial rebuke. In his words
”Using ‘police uniform’ in a skit for the purpose of entertainment cannot by itself bring contempt on that uniform.
In any event, if what’s demonstrated in the skit is a true reflection of what the police is known for, you will have a hard time proving this case.
The skit maker may want to call up to a 1000 witnesses to testify that the skit is a true reflection of the police mode of operation, and that they did not find it contemptuous of the uniform.
Maybe you think, Sir, that it is the opinion of the police that the court will use to determine whether contempt was brought on the uniform or not. Well, that is not how the law works and you may soon find this out.
This case you want to pursue may end up exposing the police to further public ridicule and judicial rebuke.
By the way, the said offence is a simple offence with a punishment of only three months imprisonment or a fine of forty Naira.
If the Magistrate Court even agrees with your argument, fine may be imposed and I don’t see how forty Naira fine on Cute Abiola will improve the revenue of the police or the federal government.
Rather than dissipate your energy trying to fight skit makers for depicting the police in a way you’re not comfortable with, you should use that energy to curtail the menace, lawlessness and corruption of policemen whose endless abuse of power is what has actually brought the uniform and the Force into a contempt.
By the way, you will have to define what constitutes a “police uniform” as provided for by law, and also prove beyond reasonable doubt that what Cute Abiola wore in the skit is a police uniform. It is not as simple as ABC. Law is not a joke.
Criminal Litigation is not skit.”
