Very important: 8 roles the Nigerian police must play in the protection of human rights and effective policing

Police offices have a very important role in the Protection of human rights because of the fact that they are dealing with people on a daily  basis, especially with people who are suspected of committing crime and people who were victim of crime.

Policing gives life to human rights, meaning that the police make decisions that either affirm or deny  the human rghts of individuals. The police are mandated to protect and serve.  They are the defenders of the law, individual liberty and human rights as enshrined in the United Nations human right charted.

The exercise of power is determined by thousands of interactions between the world of the powerful and that of the powerless. The obligation of the police leadership to protect human rghts will be fullfiled when it is realized that power for police is not an end in itself but is a means to serve the people.

The police must never at any point connive with the powerful to oppress the powerless and indigents in any matter in the society. Fairness and equality must be promoted by the police. Police leaders must themselves be humane and posses high quality of human excellence. Professionalism, is said to be a proper balance of knowledge and skills on the one hand  and proper response to needs of the people on the other.

 The Force must be careful enough not to create fear in the mind of the public who they are meant to be friends with.  Damage the people’s confidence in the force system by negligence to the defence of human rights might lead to  protest.

I want to encourage the police command to always be professional in all their dealings. They must be fearless in their fight against happening that violate human rights irrespective of the political interference bedevilling the police force in all arms of governance in Nigeria.

I THEREFORE CHARGE THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE that 1. Continuous participation of officers in training to develop and maintain the necessary interpersonal skills , and especially skills of communication , to enable you to effect arrest with all expertise, discreetly and with due respect for human dignity.

2, No detainee shall be subject to torture or cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, or to any form of violence or threat.

3, Officers should not take advantage of the poor situation of a detained person to compel him or her to confess or  otherwise incriminate herself or another person

4, Prompt response to report of human rights violation should be improved upon.

5, Nigeria police should not be politicised , every  word of all suspects irrespective of their class must be taken equally.

6, No one, particularly those in the upper class should be prevented from facing the full weight of the law If suspect in any crime related matter

7, The command should take fast action as stipulated by law against officers that are caught extorting and collecting bribes.

8 , Stop the intimidation and harassment of human rights activist in the country. .All security agencies must work within the ambit of the law and must not violate fundamental rights of the citizens when carrying out their duties.

 GOD BLESS NIGERIA @ Comr Dr Kehinde Prince Taigà, National Vice President, CDHR Nigeria.