PARADOX: The police agency embodied with the duty and responsibility of safeguarding lives and properties, appear to be doing the reverse by hurting lives, and sometimes taking the lives of many through what they coin, “accidental discharge”.
Reading the words of George Orwell, “people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf, made me reason that that’s the exact opposite of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), as so many  police officers have unleashed their triggers, thereby leading to the deaths of so many in the country.
The term ‘accidental discharge’ is often times used by the police to refer to an event of a fire arm discharging (firing) at a time not intended by the user. It is also referred to as unintentional or negligent discharge. It often occurs when the gun-handler places his finger on the trigger before he has decided to shoot. With the finger so positioned, many activities may cause the finger to compress the trigger unintentionally.
Also, accidental discharge not involving trigger-pull can also occur if the firearm is mechanically unsound; poor maintenance, abuse inept ‘guns mitting’, or the use of substandard materials or defective ammunition in the gun may also lead to breakage.
Accidental discharge is a social menace that appears to be on the rise in the country, with more police officers unintentionally or negligently taking so many persons to their early graves. So many people across the country have had woes to tell about the police accidental discharges, as so many have been victims of this circumstance. Although, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) have several times recounted the fact that the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) will not tolerate any claim of “accidental discharge” by its men, it is indeed worthy to note that accidental discharges still abound in the nooks and crannies of the country. Police officers still accidentally release bullets which have led to the deaths of so many and so many others injured.
Some police officers have tried to justify their actions saying it is accidental, and not intentional. However, it is pertinent to note that there is no justification for taking someone’s life or severely injuring the person.
Furthermore, the police have overtime been the ones that accidentally discharge their weapons, hardly do we hear of a soldier or naval man mistakenly shooting someone. Hence, this depicts the carelessness and anger of some of our policemen as they are always prepared to vent their anger on anyone who crosses their paths through their weapons. Also, a policeman could do this in a bid to protecting his boss from attack, or wading off attacks from people. This was not the case of a policeman who allegedly accompanied a monarch to a funeral in Ivhiokhile quarters in Fugar, the administrative headquarters of Etsako Central L.G.A in Edo State, reportedly killed two women and claimed to be an “accidental discharge” at the event. The overzealous police man was only tried to pleased the traditional ruler as some of them (police) attached to politicians would always firing into the air to pleased their boss. However, this action led to the deaths of two nursing mothers, as they were hit and died on the spot. Also, in Bayelsa State, a man was shot by a policeman over an argument on N2, 000 unpaid fees for a menial job carried out by the Bauchi State indigene. This happened as a result of a man refusing to pay him the bargained amount after he completed the task of clearing a portion of land. This led to her calling two policemen, and while the man was involved in a fight with one of the policeman, the other police man shot him in the thigh, thereby leading to him being hospitalized.
So many experiences of accidental discharge exist in our country, as so many policemen kill people for whatever reasons, and justify their actions using the words; “accidental discharge”. But the question still remains, when would the accidental discharge going to stop is what we do not know. When an ordinary citizen takes a person’s life, they say it is murder, but when a police officer does same using his gun, he says it is an “accidental discharge”. Hence, the police who are supposed to maintain and uphold sanctity and sanity in the country are now the ones disrupting it. The police have severally used their weapons in the wrong way, and they should be duly punished for it, so as to serve as a deterrent to others who may be engaging in such acts, and also for those policemen who think they can shoot someone under the guise of “accidental discharge”. Even if it was really an accidental discharge, the police officer should be punished so that he/she will be more careful next time.
In addition, the Nigerian policemen should know that their weapons are for safeguarding the lives of the citizens, and not for unleashing it carelessly or out of anger on the citizens. They are called the security agents, not trigger-loving agents hence, they should perform their due functions of securing the nation rather than letting loose their weapons on the citizens of the country.
In advanced countries like USA, Britain, a security agent hardly releases his bullets on someone unless there is a crucial and expedient reason for doing so. However, when he does so due to his carelessness or whatever reason, he is adequately punished for doing so, in order to deter some others from behaving in like manner. However, this is not so in Nigeria as many police officers who have accidentally discharged their weapons on people have gone unpunished; and this has led to an easy breed of so many accidental discharges in the country as so many police officers have injured, and even killed so many people, blaming it on ‘accidental discharge’.
However, despite the fact that the ‘accidental discharge’ syndrome has indeed caused more harm than good to the citizens, it is important to note that there are several reasons that has led to a police officer’s unintentional or negligent discharge of his weapons.
CARELESSNESS: This is one of the major reasons that have given rise to the term, “accidental discharge”. So many policemen are careless with their weapons; they at time accidentally hold the trigger and carelessly pull it, thereby leading to an accidental discharge.
Carelessness on the part of the police has led to so many deaths, as a result of what they coin, “accidental discharge”.
TO PLEASE THEIR BOSS: Some times, a policeman may fire a trigger(s) to please their boss especially at a public function simply because they believed they have means of replacing the bullets. This was the scenario that led to the deaths of two women in Edo State, where a policeman fired sporadically in air at the public function where mammoth crowd were gathered during a burial ceremony. However, in the process of doing this, he fired a trigger that led to the deaths of two nursing mothers.
Notable personalities always have people trailing them, and in a bid to warding off these people, a policeman may fire a trigger, thereby scaring them away; and leading to many injuring, and also resulting in the deaths of so many others.
To maintain law and order: Whenever there is lawlessness, disorder, disarray, and disturbances in a particular place, a policeman might pull a trigger in order to maintain law and order, which may also lead to the deaths of many, hence, resulting in the term, “accidental discharge”.
Inadequate training: The reason for so many accidental discharges may be as a result of inadequate training given to policemen. They might not be trained properly on how to handle a gun, when to shoot, and when not to shoot, hence, leading to “accidental discharge”.
The security agencies comprising the police, soldiers, navy, air force, and many more undergo series of trainings before resuming duties. However, it appears that the policemen are not given adequate and sufficient training on how to handle a gun, like the soldiers and other security agents are. Therefore, this inadequate or insufficient training has led to an up rise of “accidental discharge”.
TO VENT ANGER ON SOMEONE: A policeman may vent his anger on someone who annoys him by firing the trigger on the person. So many cases abound of policeman angrily shooting someone because the person got him angry or refused to do what he told the person to do. We have also heard when a policeman killed okada rider in Benin City because of N20 in the past.
Anger has led to so many irrevocable, irreversible, and irreconcilable acts. The scripture says in Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools”. Therefore, anger should definitely not be a trait found in any policeman, and even if they get angry, they should be able to control their anger in order to avert any looming danger or problem.
In as much as the police “accidental discharges” have resulted in so many problems in the society, there are suggested steps to be taken in order to put an end to the issue of police ‘accidental discharge’ in the country.
ADEQUATE ENFORCEMENT OF DISCIPLINE IN THE POLICE FORCE: There should be discipline in the police force. Mortimer J. Adler wrote; “true freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline”. Hence, discipline should be the watchword in the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). Any policeman who shoots someone knowingly or otherwise should be punished. The issue of ‘accidental discharge’ by our police authority is one of national concern. Hence, discipline should be enshrined and enforced in the codes of conduct of the police force.
Hunter S. Thompson wrote: “We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we have entrusted to enforce those laws”. Hence, our policemen need to be disciplined in order to enforce and maintain discipline in the citizens.
PROPER TRAINING OF POLICE MEN: Our policemen should undergo proper training, most importantly on how to handle a gun, how and when to make use of it. These trainings may include outdoor practices, field trips, seminars, symposia, and the likes so that our policemen  will be equipped with the knowledge of arms handling, when to and when not to pull a trigger when anger sets in, and so much more trainings.
ENSURING THAT THE POLICE CODES OF CONDUCT ARE UPHELD: The codes of conduct of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) does not provide for rudeness and naked used of force, nor indiscipline, accidental discharge in the service. It specifies that a policeman can use fire arms to protect himself or a citizen. However, anything outside that provision is murder, and the policeman involved must face murder charge. Therefore, these codes of conduct should be upheld, in order to put an end to the issue of accidental discharge in the country.
PUNISHING OF LAW-VIOLATORS IN THE POLICE FORCE: Any police officer that goes against the law by killing someone either mistakenly or intentionally should face the wrath of the law, or should be charged for murder so as to serve as a deterrent for others who may want to engage in similar act.
The issue of accidental discharge has overtime been debated. However, that does not demean the fact that this mess has caused so many havoc in the lives of many. It has left so many injured and hospitalized, motherless, childless, fatherless, and many more irrecoverable implications. Therefore, in order to put an end to this mess in the country, those police officers who accidentally pull the trigger should face the penalty of their actions.
The issue of accidental discharge within the police force will continue to exist if the police men are not made to always account for every bullet used. Some policemen overtime unleash their bullets wastefully because they believe that they can replace them through the means of buying from their armoring. This is not so with the soldiers and navy or air force. That is why the police accidental discharge is rampant and this is why they should be made to account for every bullet they use.
Therefore, for us to put an end to the huge menace of accidental discharge in the country, accountability in the use of bullets and weapons should be the watch word of our police force.