Participants suggest enlarged public hearing on police bill

Participants have agreed to hold a public hearing and consultations on the Police Service Reform Bill currently before the National Assembly. The resolution was reached at the recent strategic meeting to promote understanding and build consensus around key policing reform priorities that should underlie the bill. The meeting also resolved to reach out to the […]

Participants have agreed to hold a public hearing and consultations on the Police Service Reform Bill currently before the National Assembly.

The resolution was reached at the recent strategic meeting to promote understanding and build consensus around key policing reform priorities that should underlie the bill.

The meeting also resolved to reach out to the National Assembly with a view to organising a public hearing on the bill.

The meeting had in attendance the Senate Committee Chairman on Police Affairs, Senator Haliru Dauda Jika, the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC) of the British Council and the Nigeria Police Pogramme (NPP) among others.

The reforms became necessary as the current ‘Police Act and Regulations’ was promulgated by colonial authorities in 1943, predating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948.

Flowing from this outdated statute, the bill seeks to address  of the current challenges in policing in Nigeria, which has failed to meet the expectations of citizens. Citizens believe the police have completely decayed following long years of military rule. The recruitment, training, equipment, operations, welfare, and structure leave much to be desired.

According to its presentation, ROLAC said police reform has become imperative due to “rising insecurity, inadequate law enforcement capability and effectiveness in stemming rising insecurity to ensure protection for the citizens; resort by individuals, communities, state governments and now, geopolitical regions to self-help through the setting up their own security agencies and networks for their own protection in the face of the inability of the police and other formal security agencies to protect them.”

In the last few months, largescale banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, cybercrimes and terrorism have become the order of the day with the security agencies appearing overwhelmed. Thus, at the resumption of the National Assembly from Christmas and New Year recess, the Senate and House of Representatives called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a national security emergency in the country.

Following a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Yahaya Abdullahi and 105 others titled, “Nigerian Security Challenges: Urgent Need to Restructure, Review and Re-organise the Current Security Architecture,” the Senate set up a 17-person ad hoc committee to interface with all the security agencies on the issue and report back in two weeks.

Contributing to the motion, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over what he described as the failure of his government to tackle the security challenges confronting the country.

Speaking on the bill, Senator Jika, who said he has been passionate about policing in the country, said he had in 2016 identified how to tackle the poor funding of the police through contributions from major companies doing business in Nigeria.

Jika said he was championing both the Police Service Reform Bill and the Police Academy in Kano.

Evaluating the bill, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and a member of the NPP, Austin Iwar, urged stakeholders to ensure that the new legal framework will build a modern, responsive police in its service delivery to the people.

The chairman of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Prof. Jummai A.M. Audi, called for more input in the community policing and police council components of the bill. She added that sections 4 and 6 of the Police Act should be reviewed.

The Permanent Secretary in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Amina B. Shamaki called for detailed examination of the new law because once it becomes an Act it would be difficult to recall.

“The police are the foundation of the country’s security and so we must get it right. It is good that this discussion has started,” she said.

For her part, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, the Rule of Law Advisor in the office of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, said the office is committed to reforming the police and would continue to support stakeholder engagements towards the reform.

Some significant innovations in the Police Reform Bill include, community policing, strengthening of the Police Council (PC), functions of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), respect for human rights, annual policing plan and police accountability, institutionalising public complaints mechanism, collaboration and professionalism, gender mainstreaming and equality, and  reward for exemplary conduct through the Police Reward Fund for recognition and commendation for gallant and exemplary service.