A senior Ogun State police officer has called for caution in how rape allegations are discussed and judged on social media, warning that public opinion should not replace proper investigation and judicial process.

In an opinion article, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi Babasiyi, argued that allegations of rape should be treated seriously while accused persons are also allowed due process.

He said the speed with which allegations can spread online creates a risk of people being judged before investigators have established the facts or a court has determined guilt.

“An allegation is not a conviction,” Babasiyi wrote, stressing that rape allegations require serious investigation rather than a verdict based on public sentiment.

Why the debate matters

Rape is a serious criminal allegation with potentially profound consequences for survivors, accused persons and their families.

Social media has also changed how sexual violence allegations reach the public, allowing complainants to speak directly to large audiences while creating pressure on law enforcement and other institutions to respond.

Babasiyi acknowledged that social media can help bring attention to cases that might otherwise remain hidden and encourage victims to report sexual violence.

However, he warned that viral posts, videos, screenshots and public reactions may not provide the complete circumstances surrounding an allegation.

“A post can go viral without being verified,” he said, adding that neither a person’s popularity nor unpopularity should be treated as evidence of guilt.

What Nigerian law says about rape

Babasiyi noted that Nigeria’s legal framework on rape includes the Criminal Code, Penal Code and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, alongside relevant state legislation.

He highlighted differences between the laws, particularly the wording used to define rape and the circumstances in which sexual intercourse is considered unlawful.

The VAPP Act uses broader language, referring to penetration of “another person” and whether the other person consents.

Babasiyi said this formulation is important because it recognises that men can also be victims of rape.

“A male victim is still a victim,” he wrote, arguing that a person’s gender should not determine whether their allegation of sexual violence is taken seriously.

The exact law applicable to a particular case, however, depends on the jurisdiction and circumstances involved.

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Consent remains central

The article also addressed misconceptions about consent, particularly where the people involved know each other.

Babasiyi noted that being in a relationship does not amount to automatic consent to sexual activity, while previous consensual sexual activity does not constitute permanent consent.

At the same time, he argued that taking an allegation seriously should not be confused with declaring an accused person guilty.

“We can take an allegation seriously without declaring the accused guilty,” he wrote.

Role of the police

Babasiyi said the police have a responsibility to investigate allegations rather than determine guilt.

He listed activities that may form part of an investigation, including receiving complaints, protecting complainants, interviewing relevant people, preserving evidence, examining digital communications and considering available medical or forensic evidence.

Investigators may also examine witness accounts and the surrounding circumstances before reaching conclusions.

“The investigation must be willing to follow the evidence wherever it leads,” Babasiyi wrote.

He argued that the credibility of policing should be measured by the pursuit of facts rather than its ability to satisfy public opinion.

Social media is not a courtroom

The police spokesman’s warning comes against the backdrop of growing public debate around sexual violence allegations shared online.

Social media can provide an important platform for survivors and help draw attention to alleged abuse, but online discussions can also move faster than formal investigations.

Babasiyi therefore urged the public to distinguish between supporting a complainant’s right to report an allegation and declaring an accused person guilty without due process.

He said investigators should not be influenced by fame, social status or online pressure.

A question beyond ‘whose side?’

Rather than asking which person the public should support, Babasiyi proposed a different question: “Whose side is the truth on?”

He argued that achieving justice requires several safeguards to operate together.

These include ensuring that victims can report sexual violence without being silenced, allowing male victims to speak without ridicule, protecting the rights of accused persons and enabling investigators to work without undue pressure.

“Rape is not a popularity contest,” he wrote, describing it as a serious criminal allegation that requires proper investigation and, where evidence supports it, prosecution.

Balancing protection with due process

The central argument of the article is that protecting victims and respecting due process should not be treated as competing objectives.

For Babasiyi, allegations of sexual violence should be investigated promptly and sensitively, while conclusions about criminal responsibility should be based on evidence and the applicable law.

He warned that justice can be undermined when public outrage becomes a substitute for investigation or adjudication.

“Justice is served when we create enough room for the truth to survive the noise,” he concluded.

In any modern society or nation, policing and law enforcement are generally difficult, at times, cumbersome and multifaceted, due to the multiplicity and complexity in the nature of such society. This is particularly applicable to our dear nation, Nigeria. The Nigerian society is complex in its demographic, geographic, religious, ethnic, and linguistic composition.

To police such a complex society, it is crystal clear and reasonable that one adopts multi-track diplomacy, strategies and leadership styles to succeed and effectively provide security for the people and the general public.

As a Public Relations Practitioner, and law enforcer, I have been professionally, passionately, and visionarily assessing the leadership styles of the present Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, in policing Nigeria. Whether in accessibility, humility, philanthropism, generosity, service to humanity, faith or the promotion of discipline. It amazes me when I see IGP Rilwan Disu, the hardcore cop I, and many fondly call “Omo Baba Elepo”, relating with people to achieve the goal of effectively policing Nigeria, which rests, most importantly, on public relations principles. Very commendable and adorable.

Like me, I am sure many have noticed that Olatunji Disu’s personality speaks Public Relations. His action, engagements, interactions, freedom, accessibility to all and sundry and public speeches are driven by PR ideas and concepts. The joy in the present-day policing in Nigeria I have noticed under his leadership is that when IGP Disu appears, speaks and engages, his publics and/or audience feel the comfort, succour and relief, even when in pains. This is public relations at its peak.

Emphatically, since assuming office as Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc (+), NPM, has projected a policing philosophy that places public confidence, strategic communication and community partnership alongside operational effectiveness. His approach suggests an important paradigm shift in emphasis – that policing Nigeria effectively requires not only the capacity to confront and combat crime, but also the ability to communicate, engage and build trust with the people.

Appointed Acting Inspector-General on February 24, 2026, and subsequently ratified as substantive IGP by the Nigeria Police Council on Monday, 2nd March, 2026, IGP Disu assumed leadership of the Nigeria Police Force at a critical period, with the expectation of strengthening security while rebuilding confidence in the institution.

At the centre of his emerging philosophy is the understanding that public relations is not merely about managing the image of the Police Force; it is an essential instrument of modern policing.

In modern policing, effective communication has emerged as one of the most effective tools for ensuring a workable Police-Public partnership. One of the clearest expressions of this came in July 2026, when IGP Disu convened a strategic communication and media-relations workshop for Commissioners of Police nationwide. He charged senior officers to be proactive in the media, engage journalists as partners, respond promptly to unfolding situations and build relationships with the public before crises occur. His message was particularly striking: “Guns protect lives, but your voices protect our reputation.”

That statement captures the broader thinking behind his PR drive. The police officer’s responsibility does not end with enforcing the law. In an information-driven society, explaining police actions, correcting misinformation and listening to citizens are equally important components of effective policing.

Beyond effective communication, IGP Disu’s approach also places considerable emphasis on community policing. He recently directed all Commissioners of Police to hold regular town-hall meetings with traditional rulers, religious leaders and community groups, while making their contact details accessible to community stakeholders. This is significant because policing is most effective when the public sees the police as partners rather than distant authorities. Accessibility promotes and accords recognition, sense of belonging, and relevance and commitment to stakeholders in Policing.

Communities possess vital information about criminal activities and emerging tensions. Building trust therefore becomes an operational advantage. When citizens believe that the police will listen, protect their rights and respond responsibly, they are more likely to cooperate, share information and get involved in policing strategies in their immediate (local) areas.

Since assuming office, IGP Disu has repeatedly articulated a vision of policing that is people-centred, professional and accountable. In an engagement with civil-society organizations, he reaffirmed his commitment to human-rights compliance, transparency and accountability, while highlighting reforms to complaint response mechanisms and police training.

His perspective is important because a people-friendly police institution cannot be created through publicity alone. It must be experienced by citizens in their daily encounters with police officers.

Respect for human dignity, professionalism at police stations, responsible use of authority, accessibility of officers and credible complaint mechanisms are therefore as important to police reputation as press conferences and media statements.

Another feature of the IGP’s approach is the movement from reactive to preventive policing. His administration has promoted community sensitization through new initiatives and reactivating already existing but dormant platforms such as the nationwide Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), which engages schools, communities, religious organizations and other stakeholders in preventing youth involvement in crimes, criminality, and social vices.

This represents public relations in its broader sense: reaching society before a crisis occurs.

It is an understanding that the police can protect society not only by arresting offenders, but also by educating communities, engaging young people, strengthening partnerships and preventing criminality from taking root.

What makes IGP Disu’s catalytic approach noteworthy is the attempt to make communication part of the architecture of policing rather than an afterthought.

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His emphasis on strategic communication, community engagement, accountability, human-rights compliance and proactive policing points towards a simple proposition: the legitimacy of the police is strengthened when the people understand the institution, can communicate with it and have confidence in its conduct.

Ultimately, the greatest public-relations officer in the Nigeria Police Force is not necessarily the officer behind a microphone. It is the officer who treats a citizen with dignity, responds professionally, protects the vulnerable and performs his duties with integrity.

That is where IGP Disu’s catalytic approach faces its most important test.

If the philosophy of communication and people-centred policing is consistently translated from Force Headquarters to Commands, Divisions and the streets, it will help narrow the longstanding distance between the Nigerian Police and the citizens.

For IGP Olatunji Disu, therefore, policing with public relations principles is not simply about projecting a better image of the Police Force or rolling out achievements or parading suspects and exhibits recovered before the media. It is about creating the conditions in which a better and symbiotic relationship between the police and the Nigerian people can emerge.

And in a country where public trust remains one of the most valuable assets in the fight against crime, that may prove to be one of the most consequential aspects of his leadership.

Generally, in my view, the IGP’s leadership styles which rests on PR will definitely effect positive changes and hasten the reform we all yearn for in the Police and the country at large.

Best wishes to the IGP, Rilwan Disu, Omo Baba Elepo, the Black Belter.

Ire oo.

Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Member, International Public Relations Association, and Public Relations Practitioner, Oluyole Estate, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

princemoye@gmail.com

(08037168147)

Nigeria is witnessing a disturbing shift in public behaviour as accident scenes increasingly become content for social media rather than emergencies demanding urgent help.

A recent crash on New Year’s Day along the Araromi Seaside–Etikan Highway in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State has again brought the issue into sharp focus.

Graphic videos from the scene, widely shared online, showed dismembered bodies scattered across the road.

Why it matters

Accident scenes are emergencies, not spectacles.

Filming victims instead of helping delays life-saving intervention and strips injured or deceased persons of dignity.

Mental health experts warn that repeated exposure to such graphic images can cause lasting psychological harm, especially to families who may encounter the footage online before receiving official notification.

The human cost behind the videos

Families are often forced to relive trauma each time similar visuals resurface.

One widely referenced example is a past road accident involving world boxing champion Anthony Joshua, in which two of his friends died while visiting Nigeria, with reports of body parts scattered at the scene.

Such images, once online, never truly disappear.

The internet preserves them indefinitely, compounding grief and reopening emotional wounds long after the incident.

Bystanders, not responders

Before emergency services arrive, many witnesses now reach for their phones instead of calling for help.

Road safety advocates say this “quick-to-record” culture slows rescue efforts, violates privacy, and often leads to families learning of deaths through social media posts.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have repeatedly urged Nigerians to prioritise emergency calls, crowd control, and first aid where safe, rather than filming scenes.

What authorities are saying

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has long emphasised citizens’ duty of care, which includes empathy, responsibility, and timely action in moments of distress.

Public affairs analysts argue that discouraging the filming of accident scenes should now be a core focus of the agency’s nationwide sensitisation campaigns.

They point to the success of the NOA’s January 2025 campaign against fuel scooping from fallen tanker accidents, which helped save lives through sustained public education.

Industry and public reactions

Road safety professionals say Nigeria’s emergency response system already faces challenges, from delayed ambulance access to limited trauma care.

Adding crowds of onlookers filming accidents further complicates rescue operations and increases the risk of secondary crashes.

Many Nigerians online have also begun calling for stricter enforcement against the circulation of graphic content, arguing that empathy should outweigh social media engagement.

What’s next

Experts say change will require sustained public education, clearer enforcement of existing laws, and stronger collaboration between road safety agencies, security services, and community leaders.

Citizens are being urged to stop recording and start responding by calling the FRSC, ambulance services, nearby hospitals, and security agencies, and by offering safe assistance where possible.

The bigger picture

Nigeria’s roads already claim thousands of lives annually.

Turning tragedy into content only deepens the crisis.

As the country enters another year, advocates say the message must be clear: human dignity must come before views, likes, or shares.

Nigeria needs empathy not cameras.