news Human Rights: Police needs to do more, says IGP 12
Thursday, 31 March, 2016
Nigerians expect more from police Dambazzau Chris Agbambu - Abuja
T
HE Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has challenged the Nigeria Police Force to do more in respect
of human rights. This is even as the Minister of Interior noted that Nigerians expect more from the IGP and the entire Nigeria Police as it relates to professionalism. The IGP spoke in Abuja,
on \Wednesday, during a seminar themed: ‘International Human Rights Standards and Trends in Community driven policing.’ According to the IGP, “Police personnel are the prime security actors in the
internal security architecture of the country and in terms of respect for human rights by the Nigeria police, I will say they are doing well but there are still some areas where we have to fine tune and that is why I am
From left, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase; Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdulrahaman Dambazzau (retd) and a former IGP, Mr Sunday Ehindero, with some Police management team, during a seminar to mark the 11th Biennial 2016 Police Week, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Biafra: Kanu seeks British govt’s help, says he is a victim of persecution Sunday Ejike - Abuja
DETAINED leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has taken his plight to the British government. The Biafran leader, in a terse letter through one of his lawyers, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, described himself as a victim of travesty of justice and gross human rights violation due to his prolonged detention by the Federal Government. Kanu, who expressed his readiness to face his trial, said however, that what he was yearning for was nothing but fair trial and not persecution. In the letter dated March 24, 2016 and addressed to the British High Commissioner in Abuja, the Biafra agitator, who has filed a suit before the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), against the violation of his rights, said he was wrongly arrested and put in detention. He drew the British envoy’s attention to his rights and privileges as a British citizen, pointing out that, “It is repeating the obvious to state that our client is a full British citizen, by virtue of which position he is entitled to all rights,
privileges and protections, guaranteed under the British Laws and conventions. “We are therefore constrained in the circumstance, to formally notify the British Government vide this medium, of our well informed reservations, and apprehension, that our client is undergoing persecution in the charge above referred, and deliberate design by the persecutors to frustrate every effort of the defence team, aimed at giving our client a fair trial,” Kanu’s lawyer submitted in the letter. Kanu’s counsel submitted that the unlawful detention of his client from October 14, 2015 till January 20, 2016, without any lawful orders of court, and in flagrant disobedience of orders of courts of competent jurisdiction amounts to a gross violation of his fundamental human rights. According to the letter: “It is the position of our Law, that dual citizenship is a constitutional right of the citizens of Nigeria, clearly provided for under section 28 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended 2011. Dual citizenship is not a crime under our Law.
“Our reservations on the President’s comment were underpinned by the findings made in the ruling delivered on the 29th
day of February 2016, by Hon Justice John Tsoho, wherein Our Client and the two other Defendants were denied bail.
jazzing up their training programme and I am getting them to connect with members of the public. “It is not an easy thing in trying to jig up an organisation that has been a bit stagnant for sometimes. So, training will be a continuous thing even after I leave and I believe that I have set the pathways, I have put the building blocks and whoever is coming after me will just build on those things. Speaking on the essence of the seminar, he said: “you must know that in a democracy, the organisation that is supposed to drive the rule of law is the Nigeria Police Force. So, as of necessity, the officers must be in compliant with human rights details both nationally and internationally. The IGP also said the manual which was launched; ‘Operational Manual of International Human Rights Protocols and Guidelines’ will serve as police bible. Arase also launched a compendium titled “Nigeria Police Force (1861 – 2016): Establishment Profile. On the importance of the compendium, the IGP said: “the essence is for us to tell our story for posterity sake because any institution that fails to recognize and docu-
ment its history stands the danger of creating a historical vacuum which will engender distorted narration of its evolution. The IGP explained that the newly launched Protocols covers; police investigation, police arrest, police detention, use of force and firearms, management of civil disorder, protection of juveniles, protection of women, protection of victims of crime and abuse of power, police command and management, community policing, and policing in a constitutional democracy, among others. He also expressed optimism that Nigerians will use the operational as a template that they can make reference to in holding the police accountable for their professional actions or inactions. Speaking on the expectations of Nigerians from the police, the minister said: “I want to emphasize that a lot is expected from you (IGP) by the Nigerian public. “All eyes are on you and you need to ensure that the senior officers focus on professionalism in terms of training and welfare of personnel. There is no doubt that without meeting the minimum standard of professionalism, you will not be able to carry out your constitutional mandate”, he said.
Don’t contract PDP virus, el-Rufai warns 23 new council chairmen Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna
GOVERNOR Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has counselled the newly sworn in interim council chairmen of 23 local government councils in the state not to contract Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) virus. El-Rufai also tasked them to be good ambassadors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in their respective areas and work for the grassroots in line with the party’s manifestos. The governor stated this on Wednesday, at Government House, Kaduna while swearing in the 23 local government councils’ chairmen. He warned the chairmen not to engage in religious and ethnic sentiments while performing their duties, adding that they should unite the people of the state. El-Rufai urged them not to disappoint the people and must endeavour to provide good leadership for the residents.
He also warned them to be wary of the elements of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) who would only want to pull them down, asking them to
work with change elements that are committed to making Kaduna State great again. “PDP is a virus that God has saved Nigeria from,
Group takes protest to NASS
don’t fraternise with PDP elements in your local government areas, work with APC elements so that we can bring about the needed development.”
Says fight against corruption sensational Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja
THE Nigerians United For Progressive Change (NUPC), on Wednesday, demonstrated at the National Assembly over alleged selective witch-hunt which, is politically motivated, in the anticorruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari. The group members, who came in large numbers, barricaded the gate of the National Assembly early in the morning with placard with different inscriptions. The national convener of the group, Comrade Solomon Adodo, told newsmen that the fight against corruption had become highly sensational, jaundiced, and thoroughly compromised
due to the overbearing political undertones and motives adding that the federal government has chosen to be preoccupied with blaming the past administration for our woes instead of generating solutions as promised to Nigerians during the campaign for change. According to him “ At best the fight against corruption can aptly be described as a political witch-hunt and desperate attempt to muffle the voice of opposition political parties and any voice of dissent or constructive criticism. “We are also aware that individuals who had their neck steeped in the labyrinth of corruption were given a clean bill and compensated
with juicy appointments in this administration since they identified with the All Progressives Congress (APC). “No better testament can be adduced to the selective and ill-motivated fight against corruption than the recent resignation of a true patriot and man of honour, Yushau Shuaib as FOSSRA Chief Media Consultant due to the fact that the anti-corruption war unjustly paints any perceived enemy with tar.” He explained that the only the National Assembly is constitutionally vested with the statutory powers to investigate any government, noting that the presidential committee investigating the immediate past government is illegal.