Skip to main content

DIG directs police officers to respect human rights

Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, acting Inspector General of Police

Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, acting Inspector General of Police

The Nigeria Police Force has directed its personnel to promote and respect the rights of citizens in the discharge of their professional duties.

Mr Emmanuel Inyang, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Training and Development, gave the order on Monday in Calabar during a sensitisation workshop for police officers in Cross River.

Represented by Mr Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, the Cross River Commissioner of police, Inyang said that the training became necessary following complaints in some quarters that the police were violating the human rights of the civil populace.

The workshop was organised in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union.

According to him, the workshop is organised to offer police personnel with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to effectively discharge their duties in accordance with the rule of law and in compliance with human rights best practices.

“The national roll out of this human rights training programme will ensure that the message of protection and promotion of human rights gets to every officer of the police regardless of rank.

“The Nigeria police is committed towards the protection and promotion of the human rights of the civil populace.

“I want to believe that after this training workshop, police officers will be better equipped with skills and knowledge in the discharge of their professional duties,’’ he said.

Mrs Ukamaka Osigwe, Project Officer of UNODC, said the partnership with the police was to support the Justice Sector in Nigeria.

Osigwe said that the training would increase access to justice and respect for human rights and the rule of law, especially for disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the society.

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 1, states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

“They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Human rights principles are built on the idea that all human beings have inherent human dignity.

“Everyone must therefore refrain from infringing upon that dignity. Everyone must also act to protect the human dignity of others and of themselves,’’ she said.

Also, Dr Uju Agomoh, Coordinator, Nigeria Police Human Rights Training Project, said that no fewer than 500 police officers were trained in 2015 in human rights protection and promotion.

According to Agomoh, the project, which is for five years, from 2015 to 2020, will ensure the effective training of police personnel in the protection and promotion of human rights.

She said that the workshop was timely because Nigeria needed to reckon with other countries in the protection and promotion of human rights.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fire: UniJos Senate convenes emergency meeting on Monday

Fire at the University of Jos Library University of Jos is to convene an emergency senate meeting on Monday to review the level of damage done to the institution by the Saturday night inferno. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, disclosed this on Sunday after inspecting areas affected by the incident. The fire, which lasted for more than six hours, destroyed the Library Complex that equally houses the faculties of management and social sciences. The fire also destroyed examination scripts, books and very crucial materials. Consequently, the vice-chancellor said “the Senate will meet tomorrow (Monday) to take a decision about the unmarked examination scripts that were burnt.” On the cause of the inferno, Maimako said investigation had commenced, adding that “nothing has been confirmed yet. We are still investigating.” The vice chancellor said the school was already working with federal authorities toward establishing a main fire station since the mini fire station in t...

NDLEA arrests 252 suspects, seizes 3,073 kg Indian hemp

NDLEA operatives The NDLEA in Niger on Monday said that it had arrested 252 suspects and seized 3,073.9 kilogramme of Indian hemp(cannabis sativa) in the state. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Iweajunwa, who disclosed this in Minna, said that the operations were carried out between January and September. “Our operations in Niger State from January to September 2016 led to the arrest of 252 suspects and seizure of 3,073.997 kilogramme of cannabis sativa,’’ he said. Iweajunwa said that within the period, the agency also seized 1, 530 litres of liquid drugs, especially cough syrup with codeine. He said the NDLEA also counselled and rehabilitated 90 drug addicts in the state within the period under review. The agency, he added, secured convictions of only nine of the suspects because the judge at the Federal High Court, Minna, went on leave. “ Now that the judge has resumed more suspects will be tried,’’ he said. He advised motorists, especially commercial vehicle dri...