HUMAN RIGHTS : ARREST, DETAIN AND PROSECUTE ANY ERRING POLICE OFFICER . . . IGP directs AIGs and CPs.

By Mike ALADENIKA.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered all Assistant Inspectors-General in charge of zonal commands and the 36 states  Commissioners of Police to arrest, detain and dismiss from service any cop, who violates the rights of the citizens.

He said the errant operatives should also be charged after being indicted in an orderly room trial.

The IG also directed the officers to compile recent cases of abuse of power and violation of rights of the citizens by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Special Tactical Squad, Intelligence Response Team, Anti-Cultism Squad and other teams, and forward same to his office not later than Friday.

The returns are to include the dates and venues of the incident, the special teams involved, details of the incidents and personnel involved, and the actions initiated by the head of the concerned commands as well as the status of the matter.

IGP Adamu gave the directive in a letter dated October 5, 2020,  titled, ‘'ORDER AND DIRECTIVES : RESTRICTIONS ON THE OPERATIONS of F-SARS, SARS, IRT, STS, STATE ANTI-KIDNAPPING UNITS and OTHER SPECIAL UNITS under any nomenclature that operates in mufti across all formations, zones and state commands’.

The order with reference cb:4001/IGP.SEC/ABJ/V.115/911, stated, “Any police personnel that, henceforth, abuses his or her powers in a manner that degrades, endangers or threatens the lives and other fundamental rights of the citizens shall be promptly arrested, processed through our internal disciplinary machinery, and if found culpable, shall be dismissed from service.

“In addition, such personnel could be charged in consonance with their level of criminal liability in the instance.”

The letter further directed the CP X-Squad, Force Provost Marshall and IGP Monitoring Unit to immediately coordinate and deploy joint teams to enforce the order across all the 36 state commands and the Federal Capital Territory.

#SPARKNEWSNAIJA(SNN)

‌