Cops misconduct goes unpunished due to citizens’ ignorance of Police Act — PWAN

The Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), has offered insight into why members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) go unpunished for misconduct and abuses of power.

PWAN Program Officer, Ijeoma Igwe, made the clarification on Thursday in Abuja during a Town Hall Meeting on Human Rights, Police Act 2020, and Police Regulations, themed “Enhance Police Governance: Deepening Understanding of the Police Act 2020 and Regulations Across Nigeria.”

“Many citizens remain unaware of their rights under the Act, and as a result, may lack the confidence to hold the police accountable for misconduct or abuses of power,” she stated.

According to Igwe, PWAN, with support from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), is implementing the project across the six geopolitical zones, specifically in Kano, Plateau, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Borno, and the FCT, to deepen citizens’ understanding of the Police Act 2020 and regulations.

She expressed optimism that the project will address critical gaps in the understanding and application of the Police Act 2020 and accompanying regulations within the NPF.

She said, “One of the project’s activities is to conduct town hall meetings to increase public awareness of the recent changes and reforms within the police force as contained in the Police Act 2020.

“Through these town hall meetings, we aim to promote awareness of citizens’ rights under the Police Act 2020, allowing us to address the gap in public knowledge regarding human rights and the provisions of the Police Act 2020.

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“We will cover key aspects of the provisions of the Police Act 2020 and police regulations, all of which are important for creating a transparent and accountable relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of the FCT Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, informed the audience that a reformation is currently ongoing in the force. He noted that the PCRC is working closely with the police to ensure that it does not operate outside the governing laws.

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Insisting that bail remains free across all police divisions in the country, Ebegba clarified that the law also empowers the police and the authority to charge for bail in some instances, declining to state the specific instances.

He said, “There is a reformation that is ongoing in the police force presently. The current Inspector General of Police has emphasised the need for citizens not to be oppressed and for citizens’ rights to be maintained.

“And the PCRC has worked closely with the police to ensure that the police do not do what they should not do. Citizens, too, should not unduly want to influence the police by giving them money because they are not patient enough to go through the process of exercising their rights.

“Yes, bail is free. If you insist that you won’t pay anything, no policeman will compel you to pay anything.

“Bail is free. And you know, the law also gives the police the authority to charge for bail in some instances, and you pay to the Federation account and not to any policeman.”

On his part, Obiora Nwosu, an assistant director at the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC), stressed the need for citizens to be aware of the provisions of the Police Act 2020, noting that the commission is working to enhance citizens’ capacity to identify when their rights are being violated by law enforcement officers.