#EndSARS: Why We May Still Prosecute Looters Even If They Return The Goods – Police

The Nigeria Police has disclosed that individuals that looted items in the wake of developments following the #EndSARS protests may still be prosecuted even if they willingly return such goods.

The FCT Police Commissioner, Bala Ciroma made the submission when he appeared on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria programme on Wednesday.

According to the Police Chief, returning previously looted items doesn’t automatically absolve such persons of blame totally as the offence of stealing had been committed initially.

Ciroma, however, disclosed that the situation will be referred to its legal department for appropriate advice on the correct line of action to be taken while each case will be treated on merit.

“In a situation where people come to return goods, the fact remains did you commit an offence or not? We will get our legal experts to look at it and we will decide what to do with it.

“We will conclude our investigations and the legal experts will look at it accordingly but the fact remains that a crime has been committed,” he noted.

Meanwhile, some states have already announced the arrest of suspects in relation to the arson, vandalism, looting and general disruption of public peace that occurred in some Nigerian cities in the past few days.

Residents in some cities have also besieged COVID-19 palliative warehouses and went away with food items including bags of rice, noodles, sugar, garri and salt which the government hoarded from members of the public instead of sharing such during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

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