Conversely, the group also called
for the creation of a national bureau of investigation similar to the United
States Federal Bureau of Investigation and national policing ombudsman office to
oversee the running of the state and community police in matters of crime
investigation before prosecution to safeguard the new policing institutions to
be created from political interference and abuses by the state Governors.
In a statement signed jointly by the
National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Director of
Media Affairs Mss. Zainab Yusuf, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA
[HURIWA] said the creation of these two policing institutions to replace the
Nigeria Police Force is necessitated by the historical facts and evidence that
the Nigeria Police Force as currently constituted has systematically failed to
carryout effective proactive, scientific and forensic-based crime prevention,
protection of the civil populace from criminals and crime fighting thereby
exposing Nigeria and the citizenry to the horrendous regime of terror-related
violence. The group said that some good operatives from the current Nigeria
Police Force should be collapsed and recruited into the new bodies to be
created to give Nigeria the best and most effective Policing Institutions while
those found wanting should be dismissed and rehabilitated after thorough
disarmament and debriefing sessions.
The Rights Group dismissed the
political apprehension raised by the Northern Governors forum and the retired
Inspectors General of police who kicked against the overwhelming opinion of the
majority of Nigerians for the creation through legislative process of state and
community police for Nigeria and stated that the creation of a national
ombudsman to supervise the investigative duties of the proposed community and
Sate police would prevent insider abuses and other politically motivated
control of the proposed policing institutions by politicians at the state and
local government levels. The group said all over the World whereby state and
community police are in existence there are scientific body of proof to show
that crime fighting is easier, nearly error -free and indeed prospective
criminals are dissuaded from committing crimes because they are aware that the
chances of apprehending them and obtaining quality convictions in the competent
courts of law is more than impressive.
On the proposal for the creation of
a national bureau of investigation, the Rights group stated tha the time is
ripe for an independent body of untainted experts in criminal investigation to
be set up and equipped with modern state -of- the arts forensic laboratories
and facilities to detect and arrest criminals and also stop would -be
terrorists from tormenting and terrorizing the civil populace as is the case in
most parts of Nigeria occasioned by the existence of a moribund, less than professional,
inefficient and ineffective policing institutions. HURIWA condemned the
inability of the security operatives to decisively defeat the armed Islamic
rebels because of total lack of commitment and poor fighting materials, good
intelligence and motivation just as it called on the Government to take
workable action before Nigeria goes into full blown civil war.
HURIWA also suggested that State
Police was necessary so as to properly secure the international borders of some
Nigerian states that have been identified as gateways for smugglers of firearms
and weapons of mass destruction that are now deployed to commit atrocities
across the country. The Rights group said the workings of the proposed state
and community policing structures should be coordinated by the National Bureau
of Investigation to prevent them from abuses and from endangering national
security.
"We are shocked that the old
Inspectors General of Police are speaking in condemnation of the proposal for a
state police when they were the same people that ruined the current Nigeria
Police Force. The former Inspectors General of Police were the same
persons who messed up the Nigeria Police Force and have endangered the
national security because of the fact that an underarmed Police force is unable
to withstand the formidable attacks of armed insurgents. These former Police
bosses should cover their faces in shame and allow the democratic aspiration of
majority of Nigerians for a state police to see the light of the day. If
Government is in doubt then it can organize a national referendum to ascertain
the proper views of real Nigerians on the proposed State Police and community
Police."
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