|h5 style=
ADELANI ADEPEGBA writes on the increasing rate of police brutality against the citizens and how this can be curbed
“Police torture in the form of physical assault frequently occurs at all levels of police work – crowd control, arrest, investigation and detention. The use of violence by the police against the citizens has been recognised as a widespread and persistent problem in the country by the government, the public and even the police authority,” the report noted.
The National Human Rights Commission in April reported that police personnel carried out 18 extra-judicial killings between March 30 and April 13, 2020. The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, expressed concern over the development, noting that the death toll from police killings exceeded that of COVID-19.
The mother of two disclosed that she was taken away from a bus she was travelling in from Bori, Khana Local Government Area of the state, to Port Harcourt around 6.30pm and raped by Ebah after he threatened her. A report said the culprit had been ‘summoned’ by the state Commissioner of Police. Last December, a mechanic, Chima Ikwunado, was tortured to death by some policemen in Rivers State. The deceased was arrested alongside four of his friends in the Ikokwu area of Port Harcourt and accused of being robbers. Ikwunado died after he was reportedly tortured by the cops. The police disclosed that four officers linked to the incident had been dismissed and might be prosecuted.
The organisation noted that the Nigerian authorities had failed to prosecute a single officer from the SARS despite anti-torture legislation passed in 2017 and “evidence that its members continue to use torture and other ill-treatment to execute, punish and extract information from suspects.” “The systemic use of torture and other ill-treatment by SARS officers for police investigations and the continued existence of torture chambers within the Nigeria Police Force point to an absolute disregard for international human rights laws and standards.”
He noted, “Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution stated thus, ‘Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and accordingly, no person shall be subjected to torture or degrading treatment’. So, if the police can respect the constitution, there will be no crisis between the police and the citizens, because no law permitted the police to torture or brutalise a citizen.”
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
BREAKING: 304 new COVID-19 cases recorded in 14 states, FCT | The NationNigeria’s confirmed cases of coronavirus reached 43,841 on Sunday night following 304 fresh infections, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ...
Read more »
Fewer infections, more recoveries last week | The Nation NewsA breakdown of daily figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control shows that Nigeria recorded fewer cases, less deaths and more recoveries last week compared to the previous week
Read more »
BREAKING: COVID-19 deaths now 896 in Nigeria, says NCDC896 patients have so far died from the Coronavirus in Nigeria, with 20,663 patients discharged.This is according to tweets released on Monday night by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC)
Read more »
Police shoot youth in Delta protest | The Nation NigeriaThere is pandemonium in Ozoro community in Delta State, after irate youths took to the streets to protest the killing of a youth by a policeman...
Read more »
NCDC gives update on potential COVID-19 vaccine, makes promise to Nigerians - Daily Post NigeriaThe Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that it is working hard to ensure that Nigerians have access to the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines
Read more »
A second colonialism - The Nation NigeriaFor Nigeria and the rest of the developing countries, the years of debt peonage under the western-controlled International Monetary Fund and the...
Read more »