A human rights activist and Executive Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, has urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the Police Service Commission (PSC) to continue cautioning Police officers against the illegal arrest of Nigeria citizens, thereby leading to illegal extortion of the affected victims.

However, while commending the Nigeria Army for the proposed launching of the Operation Crocodile Smile IV in the Lagos and Ogun States axis of the country, Comrade Sulaiman admonished the leadership of the army to monitor its men that would participate in the security outfit so as not to be the tool in the hand of influential elements that could use them for their selfish ends as being experienced in Ogun State in recent past.

He called on the outfit to give special attention to Ogun State, particularly the towns and villages around the Nigerian border, in their line of duties, in the state because of the high rate of smuggling, bunkering and land grabbing in the area.

This message came on the heels of the recent statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari and IGP Adamu, cautioning the security agents, especially, the officers of Nigeria Police to let professionalism be their watch word.

President Buhari handed down the message while delivering a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Lagos with the theme ‘Repositioning the Force for the Challenges of Effective Policing in the 21st Century’.

Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, stated that men of the Nigeria Police Force should thread softy against harassing young people in their bid to arrest ‘yahoo criminals, saying the service the Police force rendered was one Nigerians could not do without as it was the closest to the grassroots.

Buhari said: “Police cannot escape public scrutiny and sometimes criticism; Nigerian people old and young want our Police force to be better and to do better; they want to be even prouder of your service than ever before.”

In a signed statement copies of which were made available to newsmen, Comrade Sulaiman appealed to the IGP and PSC to continue training and retraining exercises for the rank and file of the Police in the area of professionalism and respect for human rights, noting that the Nigeria citizens want a refined Police with international best practices.

The rights activist also urged the leadership of the Police to teach the rank and file on how to shun illegal arrests, unlawful detention, intimidation, trump-up charges and undemocratic torture of those who do not have the wherewithal to pay for their usual extortion called” Bail money,” advising the authority to expose its personnel to training that would refine them with democratic tenets.

He added that most of the actions and inactions of officers of the Police were contrary to democratic principles and stipulated laws such as Law of Evidence act, Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), Law Enforcement and Human Rights Law, Administrative of Criminal Justice (ACJ), the Rights of the Prisoners in Nigeria Criminal Justice system Law, Universal Declaration of Human Rights Law, Police Colleges Questions & Answers Law.

Other laws include United Nation Covenant on Human Rights Law, Bureau of Public Procurement Act, Prisoners’ Reform Act, National Human Rights Commission Act, Freedom of Information Act, United Nation Charter, Police Act, Coroners Law, Robbery & Firearms Act, Police Regulations Act, Terrorist Act, Money Laundering Act, Criminal Code, EFCC Act, ICPC Act, Cases & Materials Act, Supreme Court rulings on citizens’ Rights, and amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He therefore urged the Police authorities in the country to treat the entire Petition Letter of CHRSJ regarding Ogun State with sense of candour and professionalism so as to save the lives of innocent and law abiding citizens of the state in illegal incarceration.

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