The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Idowu Owohunwa, has berated the Commissioner of Police in charge of Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) on Milverton Road, Ikoyi Lagos, CP Margaret A. Ochalla, for detaining suspects against the laws of the land and violating their fundamental human rights.
Owohunwa, the immediate past Commissioner of Police in Lagos, who paid a surprise visit to the cell of the PSFU, observed that most of the suspects had been in custody for over four months.
Twenty suspects, who were brought out of the cell while the AIG interacted with them, narrated how they were held for alleged financial transactions that went awry.
A visibly disappointed Owohunwa warned the CP to desist from further detention of suspects for more than 24 hours and instead charge them to court.
He said that as Commissioner of Police, he ensured that no suspect was detained more than was necessary by daily checking the cells to know the offence of individual suspects.
Owohunwa said: “Please, let us obey the laws of the land. Right is a two-way traffic. The complainant has rights, much as the suspects are entitled to their rights also. I must express my disappointment over what I heard from the suspects, with some of them saying they had been here for months; that’s not good enough.
“Even as suspects, they are equally entitled to the fundamental rights. Let us work as police officers who are conversant with extant laws of the land.”
You should enjoin your sectional heads to ensure routine check of the cell to avoid cell violence.
“Let us remind ourselves that it is necessary to respect the rights of citizens in custody. This visit serves as a reminder of our commitment to ensuring humane treatment and upholding the fundamental rights of individuals in detention.”
