Violence Against Citizens By Law Enforcement Agencies In Nigeria Must Stop

The Network on Police Reform in Nigeria totally condemns the violence meted out to Mr. Ibanga Isine, the Rivers State correspondent of Punch Newspapers and some residents of D-Line, Port Harcourt on Monday, November 10, 2008 by five armed policemen. The five policemen who were engaged in an apparently illegal stop and search operation behaved as though they were drunk, wielding and pointing guns at innocent passersby, and flogging them without any provocation whatsoever.
NOPRIN calls for full investigation into this case with a view to bringing all the perpetrators to book and ensuring adequate compensations for the victims.
NOPRIN is worried by the increasing spate, in recent time, of unprovoked violence against civilians by law enforcement agents in Nigeria. It is a matter for serious concern that law enforcement officers who are charged to serve and protect now pose grave threats to the safety and security of citizens. In the last one month alone, there have been no less than five different incidents of unwarranted attack and brutality, torture and killing of citizens by officers of the Nigerian police and the Nigerian Navy.
The police brutality on Ibanga Isine, a journalist in Rivers State is coming just as the outrage generated by the barbaric brutalization of Miss. Uzoma Okere by some naval ratings on Monday November 3, 2008 is yet to subside. The ratings attached to Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Logistics Command, Sapele, Rear Admiral Henry Arogundade beat up the innocent lady for obstructing the officer's illegal convoy along Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
On Tuesday, October 14, 2008 four Police Officers attached to 'A' Division Police Station, Ede, Osun State, beat one Misitura Ademola to death while in police custody. The deceased was nursing a five-month old baby.
The following week, another citizen, Dauda Najeem, an auto mechanic apprentice was also brutalized and tortured to death at Ataoja Police station, Oshogbo while in police custody. In none of the two aforementioned cases, all happening in Osun State, was any of the 'suspects' charged with any offence before any court of law. The police simply took laws into their hands, presumed them guilty and tortured them to death, while attempting to force confessions out of them. As usual, the police attempted to cover up by telling lies about the circumstances of their death.
It is NOPRIN's view that violence by law enforcement agents makes a mockery of Nigeria's 'democratic' claims and international image. When officers of the Nigerian Police or Navy circumvent the due process or subvert the rule of law, they put a lie to President Yar'Adua's much flaunted commitment to the rule of law. It is deeply disappointing that despite huge efforts and resources devoted to entrenching democratic values and reforming the justice system, impunity prevails in Nigeria, sustaining violence and arbitrary conducts by those who are expected to protect the rule of law. As long as law enforcement officers responsible for misconduct and gross violation of human rights are not brought to book, so long will police violence and impunity prevail. Violence is capable of reversing Nigeria's democratic gains.
NOPRIN calls on the President to ensure that violence against citizens by law enforcement agents are viewed with great seriousness and that perpetrators are punished appropriately.
NOPRIN calls on the IGP to order a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the attack on Isine Ibanga and others in Port Harcourt. The police officers responsible must be identified and punished. The victims must also be adequately compensated.
NETWORK ON POLICE REFORM IN NIGERIA (NOPRIN)
44, Alhaja Kofoworola Crescent, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos.