By Muhammad Shira Umar:
The Nigerian Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has been called upon to roll our strategies for faster implementation of Nigerian Police Act 2020 for a wider benefit of Nigerian citizens in the wake of democratic culture.
This was part of resolutions at the end of a one day Media Town Hall meeting for the states in North-East Nigeria, held in Maiduguri to devolve strategies for massive awareness creation on the content of the Act which was accented since September, 2020.
Participants who came from various Media Background, discussed on key elements of the provisions of the Act which is generally striving to put in place a Modern Policing with strict compliance to the rule of Law and Human Rights.
The participants commended the enactment of the Law, and congratulated the Nigerian Police Force for making a giant headway from the colonial inheritance of draconian codes of practice.
Speaking during the Town Hall Meeting, organized by Partners West African Nigeria,(PWAN) a non governmental organization, Madam Zainab Waziri, a programme Officer of the Organization said, various steps have been taken to support the concept of popularizing the provisions of the Act to the citizens so that they can become advocates and champions of decent police duty and protection of individual rights.
She said with support from its partners, especially the UKaid, PMAN, will continue to support activities cutting across human rights, good governance, policy strengthening and societal development.
Waziri charges the Media to use their affluence as agenda setters to support the upright deployment and implementation of Police Act 2020 by holding public officers particularly the Nigerian Police accountable to national duties.
Also speaking, a Facilitator of the Town Hall meeting, De Kelechi Akubueze of the National Human Right Commission, called on all well meaning Nigerians to rally round the full Implementation of the Police Act 2020 which he described as well conceived document meant to give hope to all Nigerians.
He emphasizes that under the new Act, it is prohibited for the Police to embark on indiscriminate arrest without investigation, so also, the total banning of torture or any hard treatment of suspects for the reason of obtaining information. He listed other key areas which included diligent procedure for arrest, searching, prosecution, recording of statement, bail procedures, police obligations to citizens, among others.
Dr Kelechi, said under the New Act, Nigeria is being placed on a right putting in line with international best practices where respect for rule of law, human right and fair treatment, transformation into community policing mandate are given top most considerations.
He charged the Nigerian Police not to disregards any of the provisions warning that Nigerians are now under a flourishing democracy which bans any element of office abuse saying any errand doing under the new Act is addressed squally.
He called on the Media to support national development through paradigm shift towards matters of human rights, good governance, anti-corruption crusade and national cohesion.
