14112020 - How to stop IGP from president's control

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8—SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 14, 2020 How to stop IGP from being subservient to President, party in power —Retd Police Commissioner •Says current system of policing will not help Nigeria •Proffers solution to police extra-judicial killings, corruption •Wants commands, sections of men on patrol boldly written on their vehicles, names, Force numbers of officers on patrol boldly written on uniforms •Nigerians should have right to record policemen on patrol, road blocks must be dismantled •Explains SWAT, rejects it for Nigeria •Buhari By Emma Nnadozie, Crime Editor, Last week, we served you the red-hot exclusive interview with retired police commissioner Nze Ibezimako Aghanya who variously served as Deputy Commissioner of police in Anambra State and Police Commissioner in Benue, Ekiti and Kogi states. He made startling revelations on why police engage in extrajudicial killings and told unbelievable stories of corruption, misery and poverty in the Nigeria Police Force. Today, we serve the concluding part of the interview which largely proffers solutions to myriads of problems in the force. He believes that if authorities get things right in Nigeria the Police will lead the fight against corruption in Nigeria. He is not happy that the head of police in Nigeria always subservient to the President and party in government. He has recommended a change that can stop this. It’s your weekend delight. Excerpts: How to tackle unprofessional conduct by Nigeria police I will proffer solutions to unprofessional conducts of our policemen. Extra judicial killings: Every policeman knows that extra judicial killings are unconstitutional but I have admitted it is done to hardened criminals due to factors I already mentioned. The solutions lie in investigation and prosecution duties. There should be trained investigators on the due process of interrogating suspects in accordance with Police act of 2020. Modern equipment should be provided for forensic evidence that are needed to prove capital offences. There should be trained expert investigators on the use of such forensic equipment in all the State CIDs in 36 states and Abuja. Reform of Administration of Justice to ensure trials of capital offences are completed within one year. This solution applies to torture of suspects. There is no Nigerian hardened criminal that confesses to crime without torture but if there is hard forensic evidence that will be tendered in court to convict him, then torture to extract confessional statement becomes unnecessary. Extra judicial killings during riots: There is no Police Command today that can boast of non lethal weapons to quell riots. As a Commissioner of Police in three states, I never received supply of Tear gas, rubber bullets, electric shock baton or even the common wooden baton. Apart from the two Water Canon vehicles in Abuja, there is no such vehicle in 36 State Commands of Nigeria Police. The Government should provide non lethal weapons in sufficient quantity for the Police so that during disturbances lethal weapons can only be used in extreme cases in accordance with sections 33(2)a,b,c of the 1999 constitution. CCTV camera: If CCTV cameras are mounted in Nigerian cities like in UK and other populated cities of the world, it will assist in the production of evidence to convict offenders and arrest rioters. There will be then less need for using force. I found through research, that London city alone has 500,000 CCTV cameras. During the 2013 youth riot in London, the rioters were violent but the London Police used only non lethal weapons. They arrested all the suspects with less efforts in their homes through clips downloaded from CCTV camera memory within 24hours after the riot. UK judges sat even in the night, tried and convicted the arrested rioters. Further into my research, out of 20 most populated cities in the world, I found Tokyo Japan, as number one most populated city in the world with 320,000 CCTV cameras. Lagos, Nigeria is number 16 but I could not find record of number of CCTV in Lagos while Rio de Janeiro Brazil as number 20 has 320,000 cameras. Taking into consideration the reduced revenue to government, it may not be possible for government to be able to install sufficient cameras in our cities. I therefore suggest that companies, banks and other business concerns that have 24hours power supply from public source and private generator could be encouraged by tax rebate to install high revolution CCTV cameras along the streets within their vicinity. It will be recalled that it was the CCTV cameras in a super market the USA Police downloaded to identify the Boston Marathon terrorist bombers in 2013. I am just imagining how the Nigeria Police can produce forensic evidence to connect some of the criminals that were not arrested committing the offences of arson and murder during the end SARS protest at the scene of crime. Lack of body armor vest and amoured vehicles: When the Policemen are deployed to scene of disturbances or riot with lethal weapons and no body armor vest or armoured vehicles for self protection to enable them move in to the crowd to make arrest, they deploy lethal weapons in defence as soon as rioters start throwing dangerous weapons at them. Secondly with these logistics the Police force can confront banditry in rural villages and towns. Solutions to internal maladministration and corruption It is the Nigeria Police that should be in the forefront among all the security agencies in the fight against corruption. They are in all nooks and crannies of the country and have enormous powers within the law to eradicate crime of which corruption is the mother of all c r i m e s . Corruption in the Police cannot be justified for any reason. I therefore advocate that all static road blocks mounted by any sections of the force with logs of woods etc on our highways should be dismantled. Subsequently, the President should direct all other security agencies to follow suit The Nigerian Police Force needs holistic reformation so that they can meet up with the challenges of insecurity in the country including the Military. Military can mount such road blocks in those states they are fighting against insurgents. Static road blocks are primitive system of combating crime on the highways. The only purpose they serve is that policemen and members of other security agencies see them •Aghanya •IGP Adamu as an avenue of collecting bribe from innocent motorists. It is a very shameful conduct. Security on our streets and highways by the police should be by patrol with vehicles painted with police colour and registration number. The Command and sections of the men on patrol should be boldly written on the body of vehicles being used for patrol for easy identification. The men on patrol must wear approved police uniform, name and force number boldly written on the uniform. The men on patrol should be warned that members of the public have the right to film or take their pictures while on patrol duty as a check to record any unprofessional conduct. In USA police patrol vehicles have installed video cameras to record conduct of police men on patrol. It will be a serious disciplinary offence for any policeman on patrol to impound phone or camera of any citizen who is recording his conduct while on duty. Uniform: Nigerians cannot exactly identify a police man with any particular uniform. The policemen of today wear different types and colours of uniform sown in different styles. The Nigeria Police I joined in 1974 had a work dress, office dress and ceremonial dress. They are of the same colour and design in accordance with the force order for rank and file and Inspectors with a little variation with that of ASP rank and above. The Police Mobile force (Mopol) had only one color of uniform. Today anything goes as uniform and when you inquire, the men will tell you they bought the material from open market and used their money to sow. Uniforms and accoutrements are supposed to be free for Inspectors and rank and file. I therefore suggest that uniforms of the Nigeria Police should be produced by textile mills in Nigeria with security marks. The force order on the pattern of police uniform must be strictly enforced to prevent impersonation. Proliferation of sections: This has created a lot of duplication of duties, redundancy and waste of scarce resources and poor output of work. The Commissioner of Police in a state command, constitutionally and under the Police Act is saddled with the responsibility of maintenance of law and order in his Command. He has Deputy Commissioners of Administration, Operations and Criminal investigation departments to assist him. I therefore advocate that all investigation teams in the State Command should be a section in the state CID. The sectional head of anti Robbery among other criminal activities should be directly under him. Each of these sections should be controlled by an officer not below the rank of a Superintendent. Creation of SWAT I do not subscribe to the creation of SWAT which is an operational outfit. SWAT is simply the official title of a security team that performs the same duties like the Nigeria Police Mobile force (MOPOL). The Nigerian Police Mobile Force was well equipped when I was a unit commander in the 80s. We were trained in all kinds of operational duties until they were converted to perform duties outside their scope of operation. I therefore advocate that the VIP Protection unit(Blue Beret cap) and the Antiterrorist Squad (Red Beret cap) should be integrated into Police Mobile Force (Green Beret cap). They should have barracks, efficient training and modern logistics to make them efficient like the SWAT team of USA. It is not the title of security outfit that makes the outfit efficient but the logistics and training. Appointment of Inspector General of Police (IGP) The 1999 constitutional provision and 2020 Police Act on the appointment of IGP make him so subservient to the President and party in power. Sometimes, it places IGP in a position that will make him unable to defend the actions of command Commissioners of Police when they are falsely accused by politicians or prominent citizens. For IGP to be independent and resist pressure to act unprofessionally, I advocate that if the President appoints IGP on the advice of Police Council, the IGP can only be removed from office on attainment of 60 years of age or 35 years of service or on medical grounds and for any other reasons that must be approved by two-third majority in the Senate. If Chairmen of EFCC, ICPC, are protected by rigid law from interference, the Inspector General of Police should be placed in such a situation too, to prevent being pushed around by politicians and prominent personalities who demand favors such as armed police guards for those not entitled, soliciting for underserved promotion and posting for serving members who are their friends and relations. In order to remain in office, in most cases the IGP succumbs to those pressures which amounts to unprofessionalism. The current system may not help policing in Nigeria. The IGP must be able to stand up and be firm to all and not succumb to the President and party in power in a way that will affect fairness and professional conduct. The IGP must work for the entire Nigeria and not for the President and party in power. The manner of his appointment and security of his office will guarantee and help professionalism. This way, Nigerians will have confidence in the neutrality and fairness of police force. Ombudsman The Police Service Commission should establish the department of Ombudsman in all the zonal headquarters of the Nigeria Police force to investigate complaints from members of the public in respect of unprofessional conduct. The members shall include a human rights activist to protect the interest of the public, a retired police officer not below the rank of Commissioner of Police to protect the interest of the police and a journalist as the third member. They will not receive complaints directly from citizens for investigation. All complaints must be approved by the Police Service Commission or the Inspector General of Police or the Public Complaint Commission. Their reports shall be sent to the Police Service Commission for necessary actions. Conclusion: Ensuring security of life and property in any country is one of the greatest factors to development. The Nigeria Police are in the forefront for provision of internal security. It therefore means that any country that does not have efficient and effective police will continue to have challenges in development. The Nigerian Police Force needs holistic reformation so that they can meet up with the challenges of insecurity in the country.
#EndSARS crisis: With no tear gas, no back-up, 300 rioters overwhelm 12 policemen, burn station Security expert X-rays loopholes that made police stations easy targets of hoodlums *Insists October 21 arson was well coordinated, premeditated attacks against law enforcement *Regrets policemen have turned IDPs, recommends future prevention ways By Evelyn Usman r Ona Ekhomu, is the DNational President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, AISSON. The renowned security expert was a guest lecturer at a workshop organized by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the zone 2 command, AIG Ahmed Iliyasu , in collaboration with the Police Community Relation Committee, PCRC Victoria Island. The workshop was designed to work on the psychology of men and officers of the zonal command comprising Lagos and Ogun States Police Commands, in line with the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu’s directive to policemen to take over the public space by heightening safety and security across the country. Ekhomu, in his paper titled “#EndSARS Mass Action and the Governance of Internal Security in Lagos”, x-rayed the recent mass action embarked upon by hoodlums who hijacked the #EndSARS protest and revealed the loopholes which the rioters exploited in breaching police formations. He also gave an account of how 12 policemen who confronted over 300 rioters, were overwhelmed . Excerpts: The attacks “Southern Nigeria was hard hit by the acts of wanton violence unleashed by hoodlums after the Lekki shootings of October 20, 2020. The rioters looted, burned, pillaged, vandalized, damaged and destroyed assets throughout Lagos and other states. The difficult events of October 21 and 22, 2020 almost brought the Southern part of Nigeria to its metaphorical knees. Aside attacks on property and trophy buildings such as the Igbosere Court complex, the Nigerian Port Authority headquarters building and banks in Lagos State, the rioters targeted police facilities and personnel. Police as target The October 21 to October 22, 2020 attacks on police throughout Southern Nigeria was unprecedented and historical. The pattern of attacks, the ferocity of attacks and frequency of attacks on police personnel, police stations and police cars would lead me to conclude that the mass action was indeed an attack on the police agency. Although correctional facilities, COVID-19 palliative stores and some homes of politicians were attacked, the principal target of the rioters was police personnel, police facilities and police mission. Looted arms, ammunition “The rioters also stole a large number of AK47 rifles and other weapons in police stations–arming themselves and presenting a grave threat to society. It is a known fact that insecurity in Nigeria is aggravated by the proliferation of illicit arms and small arms and light weapons in the West African sub-region. The loss of hundreds of police riffles to rioters is clearly a worsening or exacerbation of the arms proliferation in the country. At the peak of the crisis on October 21, 2020, hoodlums controlled the streets after over-powering the police agency. There was palpable fear in Lagos. It is heart-breaking that some police personnel are now hanging around their stations like Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs. Some have rented tents and plastic chairs to enable them sit down. It is quite disturbing. Attacks coordinated, premeditated “What happened in Lagos on Wednesday and Thursday (October 21 and 22, 2002) were wellcoordinated and premeditated attacks against law enforcement using the excuse or pretext of shootings at Lekki toll gate to visit violence on the police. It is not normal for members of the public to mount a large scale attack on public law enforcement officers. The attacks were unprecedented in the history of Nigeria, where police personnel were systematically hunted and then killed or harmed by members of the public that they serve. I, therefore, wish to present a research hypothesis that the attack on the police formations and personnel in Lagos was intended to dislodge the police and pave way for the looting that followed. The fall of Ajah division “The Ajah Police Station fell at about 1pm on October 21, 2020. The station had been under siege from 7am to 3pm that fateful day. The gallant police personnel – about 12 of them fought back more than 300 youthful rioters whose intent was to raze the police station. The law enforcement agents were boxed in the middle fending off rioters from the Western flank (Liberty Bridge side) and turning quickly to attack the rioters from the Eastern Flank (Abraham Adesanya Estate side). The police personnel would fire shots and push back the rioters alternately on each side. Eventually, it was said that criminal gangs from Victoria Island introduced guns into the theatre of battle and that changed the conflict. The Ajah police apparently caused casualty among the rioters, some of whom were treated in nearby clinics and hospitals. No fatality was recorded. However, the crowd was overwhelming. Eventually, the firepower from Victoria Island helped to subdue the police personnel. They all successfully escaped from the rear of their compound and then, the station was sacked. The Police facility was burnt down, alongside apartments behind the station, arms and ammunition were looted, while police uniforms and accoutrements, police vehicles and private vehicles in the compound were torched, exhibits were destroyed while suspects in police cells were let loose. The hoodlums recruited themselves into the police force and promoted themselves. Analysis “The fall of Ajah Police Station was facilitated by the lack of backup on the fateful day. Given that Police Stations in Orile (where a police personnel was killed), Ikorodu, Surulere, and in other parts of Lagos SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 14, 2020—9 as he is the most visible agent of governance. The Police must occupy again for normalcy to return. We must have a Leviathan who must return law and order. That Leviathan (or King) is you – Police personnel. The law-abiding citizens of this country appreciate and love you. We also support you and will give you information that will be important in keeping our communities safe. Please overcome your fears and return to work. Life is good, but a life of service is meaningful and purposedriven. One should not go through life without serving or without contributing. Policemen are a royal priesthood. You are a chosen race. The kind of psychic rewards you receive after saving a life cannot be replicated anywhere. You may not be remunerated as well as you should, but your sacrifice and your service cannot be rivalled by any occupational group in Nigeria. Your zeal to serve your community and the nation is appreciated. •Ona Ekhomu were also attacked, there was ample evidence that police facilities were targeted. However, given the wide spread nature of attacks against a wide variety of targets in Lagos on October 21, 2020, it became a herculean task to defend the Ajah Police Station. Aside from police stations, media houses, Local Government Secretariats, the family home of Lagos State Governor were all attacked. There is an urgent need to calculate the design basis threat for police stations. Clearly, the threat of mass action is a grave one that can overwhelm the police facility and then cause irreparable harm. “The relevant questions are: How many police personnel can defend a police station from the kind of attack at Ajah on October 21, 2020? How many canisters of tear gas do they need? It is worthy to note that no tear gas was fired before Ajah Division fell. How can the armoury be strengthened against looting by criminals? What should be the protocol for calling for OP MESA or OP AWATSE, to give aid to a police division in distress? Can the police division have a mutual aid agreement with private organizations or host communities that will guarantee help in an emergency? Can the police agency put helicopters to work in support of police divisions that are seriously threatened by hoodlums? Can police stations have a better structural barrier to prevent easy breach by rioters and criminal elements? Can police managers and executives conduct annual vulnerability assessments of police facilities to determine loopholes and quickly plug them? The Ajah division attack showed that there were several loopholes which the rioters exploited in breaching the station. The police division should collaborate closely with the community it serves as their security is intertwined. After the Ajah division fell, nearby banks, businesses and stores were looted by the criminals and vehicles were wantonly destroyed. Encourages Police “The policeman has the authority, Appeals for better welfare “We realize that the lack of adequate resources is a big drawback to effective policing in the country, yet you stretch the little you have to keep our communities safe. From a strategic management perspective, police executives must find administrative, programmatic and technological means to achieve more with less. I urge police executives to build trust between the agency and the community that it serves. The political pressure that will bring about improvements in police remunerations and conditions of service will come from the community. It should be noted that politicians will not give the police what it deserves, but what it lobbies for. The community holds the key to effectively speak out for the police. The Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, as a leading professional security body will continue to partner with the police in obtaining resources from the government to enable the provision of quality service. We shall continue to champion the cause of the police agency and use our contacts to lobby for enhanced conditions of service. We also will use our vast knowledge and structured analytical tools to interpret the realities that confront the police agency and Nigerians. We belong in an epistemic community that is often not understood. The ontology of policing, the epistemology of policing and the methodology of policing have to be subjected to dissection, visualization and empirical examination in order to create new models of effective policing. “I also urge the various Police Community Relations Committees nationwide to lend the police a shoulder to lean on in these tough times. The PCRC as a natural ally of the police agency must speak up and speak out now that the morale is low in the agency. We all need the police and they need us. I also wish to urge the mass media to champion the cause of the Nigeria Police Force. The Police perform a crucial function of crime control and order maintenance. Without safe streets, legitimate activity cannot be carried out. The media must do its patriotic duty by telling the stories of police personnel callously murdered by hoodlums. No police death should be ignored. Every hero deserves to be honoured. The corporate world has a major role to play. Funds should be mobilized to help families of fallen police heroes. Injured police personnel should receive first-class medical treatment. This is expensive. The corporate world should also help in rebuilding police facilities destroyed in the October madness that was emblematic of the #ENDSARS protests. Given the current decline in the Federal Government’s oil revenues, rebuilding the police facilities would be a herculean task. Patrol cars, modern policing equipment and uniforms are required to rebuild the police service in southern Nigeria. The individual policeman must engage in self-talk that will encourage him to get back to work. The safety net that is provided by the police is torn right now. It will take courage, commitment, dedication, patriotism, professionalism, perseverance and the ingenuity of policemen and women, police supervisors, police managers and other police officials to enable the healing that is required to get things back to normal”.
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