Former President Bukola Saraki has hailed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun’s directive mandating hospitals to treat accident victims before demanding a police report.
The IGP’s directive is contained in a police internal memo dated October 25, 2023, which was signed by the Force Principal Staff Officer, Olatunji Disu.
In a reaction on Facebook on Saturday, Saraki that the directive would prevent needless loss of lives as witnessed in the case of Linda Igwetu, a National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) member who was shot by a policeman on July 3, 2018.
He said, “I am delighted to see that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has directed medical personnel across the country to treat gunshot victims without asking for a police report. This policy is based on the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017, which we passed in the 8th Senate to save lives. The IGP’s directive was contained in an internal memo dated October 25, 2023.
“I hope that this new directive, backed by the full weight of the Gunshot Victims Act, will ensure that Nigerians who are shot or injured receive prompt medical attention in hospitals across the nation. This will put an end to the age-long practice of denying medical care to gunshot victims, which has cost us thousands of dear lives.
“It is also a victory for the memory of Linda Igwetu, the youth corps member who was shot and killed by a policeman in 2018. I remember calling Linda’s family after she died and I promised them that we would work to make sure that her death was not in vain. With this new policy by the IGP, the nation has taken a major step towards fulfilling that promise.
“I want to thank the IGP for doing what should have been done years ago. This is a victory for the memory of Linda; this is a victory for all Nigerians.”