British Council holds Police Reform Bill parley

The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC) of the British Council will on February 20 hold a strategy meeting on the Police Reform Bill presently before the National Assembly. A statement by the Programme Officer of RoLAC, Samson Nduleme Hart-Onwusonye said the aim of the meeting is to promote understanding and build consensus around […]

The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC) of the British Council will on February 20 hold a strategy meeting on the Police Reform Bill presently before the National Assembly.

A statement by the Programme Officer of RoLAC, Samson Nduleme Hart-Onwusonye said the aim of the meeting is to promote understanding and build consensus around key policing reform priorities that underlie or should underlie the Bill.

“It is also expected to be used to review legislative progress and provide critical direction for the future engagements leading up to the expeditious passage of the Bill by the National Assembly,” he said.

“The Nigeria Police is currently organized under the 1943 Police Act and Regulations, which came into force before Nigeria’s independence. Current security challenges that confront the country, as well as the persistently low human rights compliance rankings that the Nigerian Police has received highlight the need for reforms that address capacity deficits and transform the agency into a modern crime-fighting, law-abiding, responsive and accountable institution.

“Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, there have been several abortive attempts to reform the Police and by reviewing its enabling Act. At the last attempt, the Senate of the 8th National Assembly passed the Bill but the House of Representatives cited constitutional reasons for rejecting it.

“The Police Bill has been reintroduced to the 9th National Assembly and has undergone the first reading. This presents a fresh opportunity to mobilize broad consensus around the changes we would like to see in the Nigerian Police Force.  The Breakfast Strategy Meeting seeks to achieve that consensus among critical stakeholders whose views and roles will be critical to the passage and implementation of the Bill.”