ASABA/Nigeria: Nigeria Police, Delta State Command has harped on the imperative of collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to be able to uphold the rule of law and human right in discharging its constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives of property of the citizenry.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of Ozoro Area Command, Mr Camillus Emeodi, made call when the executive of the NBA, Oleh Branch and members of its Human Right Committee paid a courtesy visit to the commander in Ozoro, headquarter of Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State.
Emeodi admitted the excesses of some bad eggs in the police while on field duties, saying that such airing officers were disciplined according to law.
He asserted that the police and the NBA were partners in ensuring that justice, equity and the dignity of the citizenry were protected irrespective of tribe, religion and status.
Responding to issues of brutality, abuses of human rights and unlawful detention of suspects by the police, the ACP stated that though the police have enormous powers to arrest, conduct search with or without warrants and to detain suspects, he maintained that abuses were intolerable.
He challenged the NBA to report any incidents of excesses of its members and such officers, if found culpable, assuring that they would be sanctioned immediately, even as he stressed that it was unlawful for police to demand road worthiness document from private vehicle owners.
Emeodi gave an assurance that thorough investigation into alleged torture of an old woman accused of witchcraft at Otor-Iyede and bring the perpetrators to book.
He described men of the force as endangered species due to unwarranted stigmatization and negative perception by the public, including other professional bodies.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oleh Branch, Mr Theophilous Aniko said they were at the Ozoro Area Command to familiarize with the new commander and his men, and also bring to his attention some human rights issues.
He stressed that synergy with the police was imperative to guarantee safety of lives and property of citizenry.
The Chairman, who was accompanied by the members of the Human Rights Committee of the branch, raised issues of human right violations perpetrated by the police including mode of arrest, overlong detention of suspects, and procedure of taken suspects’ statements.
According to him, the abuses were in gross violation to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Police Act 2020 and other extant laws.
Mr. Aniko, who informed the police boss that the jurisdiction of Oleh Branch of the NBA covers Isoko South and North, Ndokwa West and East, and part of Ukwuani Local Government Areas, recommended a forum where the police and NBA would interact to appreciate areas of collaboration for a better society.
The chairman was accompanied by the vice chairman who is also the chairman of the Human Rights Committee, Dr Henry Awodezi; and the Secretary of the NBA, Oleh Branch, Mr Timothy Agbaragu, among others.
