••••URGE ICPC TO INTENSIFY PROBE OF NPTF
The Nigeria Police have come under severe attack over an alleged non compliance with the provisions of the Police Act 2020, especially on the issues relating to bail application, human rights abuse and violence against the suspects.
Making the observation in a 26 paragraph communique issued at the end of its meeting in Ibadan, the coordinator of the Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy centre, (RULAAC) Mr. Okechukwu Nwaguama ,in conjunction with representatives of other Civil Liberty organizations accused the police hierarchy of non-committal to the implementation of various Acts aimed at effective policing by the personnel.
The groups also called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC) to make public its findings on the allegation of corrupt practices levelled against the management of the Nigeria Police trust Fund.
The police hierarchy, as contained in the communique has not demonstrated sufficient commitment to implement the Police Act and other laws that can improve policing practices such as the Anti Torture Act, 2017, the violence Against Persons Act 2017 and the Administrations of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
It noted that the prevalent abuse of human rights despite the ENDSARS uprising in 2020 especially, the abuse of due process safeguards provided under the Police Act 2020 with regards to arrest, search and detention and the notorious practice of extorting money for bail from citizens at police stations even when they are told bail is free are deepening negative public perception and affecting police community relations.
Blaming the shortcoming on lack of awareness, the advocacy groups, therefore, stressed the need for sensitization programme on the existence and purpose of the police Act 2020.
It also advocated that police training and retraining should focus on strategic deconstruction of the prevalent colonial mentality in the NPF.
They stated that the mentality partly informed the reprehensible conduct of members of the NPF which led to the ENDSARS protests as well as the excessive force that is being deployed to quell the peaceful protests.
In another development, the organizations have faulted the composition of the Board of Trustees for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund with Inspector General of Police as a member.
They argued that his inclusion will create a conflict of interest noting that NPF is a beneficiary of the fund.
It argued, ‘The inclusion of the Inspector General of Police as a member of the Board of Trustees creates a conflict of interest as the NPF as a beneficiary is not supposed to be a member of the Board of Trustees.