The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Ahmed Sanusi, on Friday, pledged the police’s commitment to upholding human rights.
Mr Sanusi, represented by Unung Hilary, said, “The command will ensure total compliance with respect for fundamental human rights of citizens and will not hesitate to sanction every man for it.
“We pledge our commitment to observe and prioritise the rights of citizens in our line of duty.”
He said this during the second phase of the town hall meeting on rights-based policing and oversight in the FCT for Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, an EU-funded initiative in Nigeria.
On 17 April, the NHRC held the first phase of the town hall meeting for DPOs, where the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) vowed to put an end to impunity, especially by police officers, in Nigeria.
On Friday, the chairperson of the Police Service Commission (PSC), represented by Victoria Orakwe, also noted that it remained “committed to strengthening institutional integrity and enhancing public confidence in policing.”
Just like the previous town-hall meeting, Friday’s edition focussed on adherence to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015) and the Anti-Torture Act (2017).
Similarly, an interactive session was held for the DPOs to share experiences.
Mr Hilary, who represented the CP FCT Command, stressed that the meeting was “timely and most appropriate for the security situation in our country.”
He noted that the knowledge-based exercise will be helpful to the force even as they build “trust with members of the party we seek to protect…and promote professionalism, confidence in the discharge of our duties as police officers.”
The relationship between Nigerians and the police has long been marred by mistrust, fueled by persistent reports of police impunity.
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Despite several interventions, such as the #EndSars protest to curb police excesses, and the government’s promise to reform the police, there are still reports of police impunity.
A recent case of police impunity went viral after a police officer in Delta killed a 28-year-old man.
The police have since arrested the officer; similarly, the force also said it dismissed some officials over alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion and other criminal activities in Rivers State.
While there are reports that impunity has persisted, these actions efforts to make good on its promise to hold erring officers accountable.