The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been advised against taking legal proceedings against comedian Abdulgafar Abiola, popularly known as Cute Abiola.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the police in a statement on Thursday by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, vowed to go after Cute Abiola over two of his recent skits.
The police accused the comedian of “deliberately desecrating police uniform and accoutrements” and “rubbishing the police institution with regards to the use of uniforms”.
However, Public Interest and Human Rights Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has said “using ‘police uniform’ in a skit for the purpose of entertainment cannot by itself bring contempt on that uniform”.
He argued that entertainers use military and police uniforms globally for their art and craft.
Read Inibehe Effiong below:
On this case of Cute Abiola’s skit on “police uniform”, I disagree entirely with you the Force PRO.
The case is not as simple as the Force PRO wants the public to believe.
Skit is intended for entertainment.
Entertainers use military and police uniforms globally for their art and craft.
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 wanton corruption of policemen whose endless abuse of power is what has actually brought the uniform and the Force into 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.
Ire o.
