Groups Partner Police On Human Rights’ Abuse

With anxiety over incidents of human rights’ violations by security agencies, RAPHAEL ONYEKACHUKWU writes that some Development partners are in robust engagement with the Nigeria Police to address this red-hot issue through training of Police instructors, officers and men.

The forum had roots in current efforts at promoting, integrating and entrenching human rights principles in the Nigeria Police. Principally, it focused on stemming worrying rate of right abuses by Policemen against the citizens they are to protect. Development partners on parade were the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Swiss Embassy in Nigeria, European Union, and German development agency, GIZ among others. And for three days, the Police College, Oji-River in Enugu State, hosted police personnel and instructors who interrogated latest traditions and human rights principles.
Giving an insight, UNODC’s Project Coordinator, Dr Uju Agomoh said development partners considered the training vital because the Nigerian police need continuous capacity building for its personnel as well as mainstream human rights principles into their operations.
She said Police training institutions are targets for graduating personnel to imbibe strong ethics, professionalism and respect for best practices, stressing that the human rights, as an inalienable privilege of everyone, has charmed the UN to strengthen global compliance. Assuring that these rights are protected in the UNODC project’s framework, Agomoh said the focus is on enhancing coordination; adoption of policies; implementing policies; and strengthening the justice sector institutions where trainings are domiciled.
For the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Ibrahim K. Idris, who declared the training open, it presents a platform to engage Police personnel on promoting and protecting human rights in discharging their duties. It also seeks to equip personnel with essential skills, knowledge and attitudes to effectively deliver services in line with global best practices and the rule of law.
Represented by Emmanuel I. Inyang, Deputy Inspector-General (DIG), Department of Training and Development, IGP Idris said the Force will always live by its code of conduct which states: “A police officer acts as an official representative of the government, who is required and trusted to work within the law.”
According to him, “in accordance with the fundamental duties of serving the community, safeguarding lives and property, protecting the innocent, keeping the peace and ensuring that the right of all to liberty, equality and justice is respected, the importance of ensuring that human rights are recognized by police officers cannot be overemphasized.”
The Police Chief said in 2010, the Swiss government engaged a network of stakeholders, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Police Service Commission, some UN Agencies, and NGOs working on justice security sector, with an understanding of regular dialogue on skills’ education and trainings on human rights’ protection within and outside the Force.
“Consequently, seminars and workshops were organized by these agencies for police officers and this led to the development of enhanced human rights teaching syllabi to address gaps in the existing police teaching curriculum in police training institutions especially the area dealing with human rights’ principles”, Idris said.
He further said that having developed a trainer’s guide for police instructors on different modules contained in the training manual, conscious efforts are on to make NPF’s human rights pocket handbook available to policemen nationwide.
The IGP praised the Embassy of Switzerland, GIZ, European Union, UNODC and other partners for their support since the project’s inception; even as he assured that the Police remain committed to effective utilization of all resource materials; knowledge; and skills acquired to serve Nigerians better.
On his part, the Commandant, Police College, Oji-River, Commissioner of Police, Anthony U. Ogboji lauded the development partners for their continuous support, while also praising the IGP and his team for transforming the Police into a responsible and responsive Force.
On the College’s structure, CP Ogboji said in training are 960 police personnel deployed to the five South East states, adding that, of this number, 114 are specialists already trained and posted to various departments and formations where their skills are required.
But Ogboji is not a happy man with his lamentations that despite being among the foremost Police institutions in Nigeria, the College, unlike its contemporaries, has long been neglected. Presently, the long list of issues requiring urgent attention, include outstanding personnel allowances since the first quarter of 2016, perimeter fencing and protecting iron rods on the gutter besides the training wing building, which expose the College to serious security threat, with some recruits abusing the porosity at will.
CP Ogboji further bewailed that, “There are no suitable barracks’ accommodations for Superior Police Officers, while the Inspectors, rank and file quarters are better described as mere shanties. The college is seriously lacking in furniture. Many officers do not have tables and chairs in their offices. There are insufficient desks and chairs in the classrooms for trainees/recruits.”
“The college only arrange rickety metal and woods for the recruits during their progress examinations”, said Ogboji, who pledged unalloyed loyalty to the IGP and the Force.
The Commandant however thanked the Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for coming to the College’s rescue with a N10 million donation for repairs at the trainees’ hostels during an unscheduled visit to the school recently.