The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Federal Government to structure the Nigeria Police Force.
Executive Director, Administration And Planning, NANS National Headquarters, Comrade Oladimeji Uthman made the call in a statement sent to Daily Sun on Saturday.
The call follows the tragic killing of Kehinde Alade, a 14-year-old secondary school student in Ibadan, Oyo State by a trigger-happy police officer earlier in the week.
The incident, which occurred in the full glare of the public, has sent shockwaves across the country and reignited calls for an urgent reform of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
According to eyewitness accounts, the young student was felled instantly by a bullet from a police officer attached to a patrol team operating within the city.
The victim was reportedly in a car with his father when they encountered the police crew.
While the police later alleged that the father drove against traffic, bystanders insist there was no justification for the use of live ammunition, especially in a non-violent situation involving unarmed civilians.
Condemning the shooting in strong terms, NANS described it as “state-sanctioned murder” and accused the police force of institutional recklessness, incompetence, and blatant disregard for human life.
“We are devastated and angry. No child deserves to die this way.
“That a law enforcement officer could so carelessly fire a shot and end the life of a young Nigerian student reflects the rot in the policing architecture of our country,” the statement reads in part.
The national students body urged President Bola Tinubu through the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Minster of Police Affairs to embark on a total and sincere restructuring and reform of the police force.
NANS proposed that ordinary police officers be restricted to the use of non-lethal weapons such as tear gas, electric stun guns and batons when engaging with the public.
“The presence of firearms with police operatives on our streets should be outlawed unless in exceptional cases of terrorism, civil war, or extreme violence.
“There is no reason why a police officer should confront peaceful citizens or enforce traffic laws with a loaded gun,” NANS further stated.
It further demanded the immediate dismissal, arrest, and prosecution of the officer responsible for the fatal shooting.
“We also call for justice for the grieving family and urge the government to compensate them adequately while taking responsibility for this avoidable tragedy.
“This is not a protest against the Nigeria Police Force alone, but a battle for the soul of our nation.
“Until our police officers are trained to protect lives and uphold human dignity, Nigeria will continue to lose her future in the hands of those meant to safeguard it,” the statement further reads.