HURIWA petitions NASS over alleged commercialized law enforcement in Nigeria

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has called connected the National Assembly to enact authorities against what it described arsenic the “commercialization of instrumentality enforcement” successful Nigeria.

The rights radical made the telephone during a property league addressed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, connected Thursday successful Abuja.

The radical raised concerns implicit constabulary extortion, illustrating the urgent request for reform, utilizing cases of 2 victims who faced blatant demands for bribes successful their pursuit of justice.

The rights relation pointed to the reported ordeal of a US Army veteran, Mr. Bonaventure Ezekwenna, arsenic a distressing illustration of systemic corruption within the Nigerian Police Force, peculiarly astatine the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) office successful Abuja.

Ezekwenna is said to person been embroiled successful an unending quest for justness since helium reported a rogue constabulary unit’s activities successful Anambra State.

According to HURIWA, the Nigerian-American has allegedly faced extortion from high-ranking officers astatine FCID Abuja, who allegedly promised to analyse his lawsuit but, implicit 3 years, person continually demanded bribes without important action.

The rights radical disclosed that the veteran, fearing for his information aft repeated threats, precocious returned to the United States.

DAILY POST reported that the Army serviceman had submitted aggregate petitions to Nigerian authorities, including the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

HURIWA noted that the Army veteran’s acquisition is not an isolated case, but alternatively indicative of a larger, systemic contented wrong instrumentality enforcement.

“This benignant of alleged exploitation, peculiarly from elder officers tasked with upholding the law, suggests a deep-rooted decay wrong the institution,” Onwubiko stated.

He added that the National Assembly indispensable urgently code this rot by enacting authorities that not lone bans specified practices but besides prescribes strict penalties for officers recovered blameworthy of extorting transgression victims.

The rights radical wants the nationalist complaints committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate should organise open, nationalist proceeding connected these disfigured developments.

Onwubiko besides highlighted the plight of a Guardian newsman whose car was stolen, and erstwhile the newsman approached the constabulary for assistance, officers allegedly demanded a N500,000 outgo to way the stolen vehicle.

While contending that specified extortion tactics are prevalent crossed the country, with galore constabulary commands mounting “standard charges” for transgression victims seeking assistance, HURIWA noted that the incident, covered by large quality outlets, has drawn nationalist outrage and further exposed the deficiency of accountability successful instrumentality enforcement.

“This is not however to combat crime,” Onwubiko asserted. “If instrumentality enforcement institutions prioritize fiscal summation implicit their work to support citizens, they not lone neglect the nationalist but besides lend to a civilization of impunity and insecurity.”

HURIWA insisted that the National Assembly indispensable intervene decisively to curb the commercialization of constabulary services, a inclination the enactment believes has grown unchecked for years.

The quality rights relation argued that the basal of this contented lies successful the deficiency of transparency and accountability wrong the constabulary force, peculiarly successful however funds are allocated and utilized.

“Despite important fund increases, from N15 cardinal successful 2015 to N400 cardinal successful 2023, determination is small to amusement successful presumption of infrastructural improvement, with galore constabulary stations successful disrepair and instrumentality enforcement grooming facilities underfunded and neglected,” it said.

HURIWA asserted that the mediocre conditions successful constabulary detention centers are truthful dire that detainees hazard contracting diseases owed to unsanitary environments, portion officers absorption connected extorting transgression victims alternatively than upholding their duties.