The Nigeria Police Force’s Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has decried the practice of “arrest by proxy,” calling it immoral and wicked.
Arrest by proxy refers to a circumstance in which one person is arrested on behalf of another, typically without the detained person having any involvement in the claimed crime.
Adejobi responded to a question concerning the legality of arrest by proxy on Friday, saying, “arrest by proxy is unprofessional, illegal, and unacceptable. Re-echoe it.
“You can’t arrest the mother in place of her son for an offence she knows nothing about. Except if the mother has been alleged of or one sees traces of conspiracy, accessory before the fact, and accessory after the fact.”
Adejobi stated that the investigating police officers must be certain before making an arrest.
“The IPO must be sure of any of these before arresting the mother. But if not, arrest by proxy is an act of wickedness, illegality.”
He noted that the offence would be discussed in greater detail soon.