Ben Dunno, Warri
The Delta State branch of the Committee for Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, and the Police Service Commission (PSC), to enforce strict compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justices Act (ACJA) by all police officers in the country when dealing with criminal cases.
CDHR chairman in the state, Comrade (Dr.) Kehinde Taiga, who gave the advise while leading other executive members on a courtesy visit to the office of the pioneer Area Commander, Sapele, ACP Mammam Saleh, at the weekend, noted that the growing trends of human rights abuses in the country can only be curtailed when police adhere strictly to the provisions of criminal justices act.
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According to Taiga, “No doubts that the issue of human rights abuses by the police had been on the increase in recent time and this has created so much face off between the police and the various human rights groups in the country but with the introduction of the administration of the criminal justices act, we are convinced that this abuses would be a thing of the past”.
“We have often faulted the procedures of arrest in which police denies suspects the right to a phone call, access to a lawyer, detained for more than 48 hours without being charged and in most cases held in police custody for months based on the flimsy excuses of conducting investigations and we have opposed to this severally in our capacity.
” Police should be made to carry out their duties within the armpit of the law which guaranties the rights of citizens as innocent until proven by a competent court of law and that is what we want to see henceforth with the new administration of criminal justice act that is now in place.
” This is the reason why we are calling on the appropriate police authority especially the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris and the authority at the police service commission to impose it on all police officers especially at the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and the Area Commanders across the country to adhere strictly to the pronouncements of the act”.
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“We’ll consider it an affront to the Nigerian state when we continue to experience these human rights violation by the police with this new law in place and that is the more reason we are appealing to the IGP and the PSC to do the needful in ensuring the action of their men are guided by this new law”.
He commended the pioneer Area Commander Sapele, ACP Mammam Saleh for the remarkable work he has been doing since assumption of office at the command, noting that his passion for human capital and infrastructural development of his men and officers as well as his operational base had been exceptional both as DPO and now as Area Commander.
He enjoined other police officers especially the Divisional heads to emulate the rare qualities of some of the officers who had printed their names on the sounds of time by embarking on the building of strategic structures in their areas in order to improve the working environment of their and officers.
Responding, the Area Commander, Sapele, ACP Mammam Saleh, thanked the group for deeming it necessary to come pay him a visit assuring them of his commitment to ensure adequate protection of the lives and property of residents within his coverage area.
He reminded them that he had been a DPO in so many police stations within the state Command and that his records of operating within the confines of the law are very visible and can be attested to by all and sundry wherever he had worked, adding that it was based on his good deeds then that he was warmly received and enjoying certain rights and privileges now that he returned as the Area Commander.