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Police Misconduct Will End When Their Welfare Becomes Top Priority –Rights Activist
By Daniel Dafe
Comr. (Amb) Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, National Coordinator, Initiative For Social Rights Concerns And Advancement(ISRCA) AKA “No Justice, No Peace” has said that police misconduct will end when their welfare becomes top priority to those in authority.
He said this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to him, IGP Kayode Egbetokun’s directive for an immediate stop of arbitrary arrests, detentions, human rights abuses, phone checks will still be disregarded, saying this is not the first time such directives have been issued.
In his words: “Yet, Police Commands, Areas, and Divisions, along with monitoring units, continue to disregard them,” adding: “These actions are unlawful, unpatriotic, and erode democratic principles, raising the question of accountability.”
He continued: “In a sane society, serving police officers’ children would receive scholarships, enabling them to access quality education easily. However, this is unattainable when the police themselves are mistreated. The police profession has lost its appeal, as people join the Nigeria Police for selfish reasons, seeking to exploit their position for personal gain rather than serving the public and honoring their oath.
“The Nigeria Police serve as the government’s primary agents for maintaining civility and order. Despite this, they have consistently failed to fulfill their duties effectively due to issues like inadequate funding, bribery, perversion of justice, unprofessionalism, and political interference.”
Furthermore, he said “these conditions have led to law enforcement corruption, inefficiency, and poor performance among junior and senior officers.”
He said further: “The Nigeria Police, as part of civil society, face significant challenges, including inadequate funding for development, training, and logistics. Pitifully, Nigerian policemen are responsible for the cost of sewing their uniforms and other police skits. How much more their accommodation? What does the police authority and the Nigeria Police Service Commission expect when police officers now lodge in hotels for comfort in order to work in areas with harsh conditions. How can this be the reality?
“I remain hopeful about the Nigeria Police’s future and its democratic potential, but the federal government must do its part, prioritizing police welfare, given the glaring threats. Despite strict measures, police misconduct remains a problem among Nigeria Police Officers.
“Of what essence, is the hiring and firing of erring officers when its commission can improve their lives, preventing these lingering issues among the Nigeria Police Force?” Of what essence, is the promotion and demotion of police personnel when their welfare aren’t prioritized, enabling them to live a befitting life during and after service, which compares them to these unlawful behaviors?”
“While I commend the Nigeria Police Force, under the previous Inspector Generals of Police and the current Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, as well as various State Commissioners of Police for consistently approving funds for police officers who have been victims of different situations or for families of police officers who died in active service, more efforts need to be put in place to ensure the wellbeing of every serving police officer, regardless of rank; there’s a lot to be done to strengthen democracy.
“To make the police profession more attractive and respectable, the Federal Government of Nigeria should provide junior and senior police officers with good salary schemes, prioritizing their basic needs. These would also attract well-enumerated graduates to join the Nigeria Police Force. Traditionally, the Nigeria Police Force has been the last hope for job seekers. However, we must recognize that policing should be a highly respected profession in our nation. It is crucial that the Federal Government of Nigeria understands that the welfare and improvement of the police are vital in shaping their attitudes and conduct, which ultimately benefits society at large,” he said.