IGP Bans Police From Arbitrary Arrests, Detention Of Youths, Collection, Checking Of Phones
The Nigerian Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered an immediate halt to unnecessary arrests and detention of youths across the country.
The IGP, who is currently under fire over incessant arbitrary arrests, detentions and human rights violations, also directed that all arbitrary collection and checking of phones be stopped immediately.
The police authorities warned that henceforth any police personnel caught indulging in the prohibited acts would be punished including the Commissioner of Police of the command and their supervisors.
The warning is contained in a police wireless message dated December 13, 2024 and addressed to all the State Commands which was obtained by PidomNigeria.
In the letter signed by the Department of Operations for the Force Headquarters, the police hierarchy stated that such impunity and unlawful attitudes are portraying the Nigeria Police Force in bad light.
According to the message, all these infractions culminated to the #EndSARS protest which led to the destruction of properties and killing in the past.
The message with DTO: 111996/ and Ref: CB:0900/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.TIO/157 was titled: Order and directives: Arbitrary Arrest and Detention.
It partly read: “Arbitrary Arrest X Detention X NIGPOL DCPS ABUJA DIRECTS X HENCEFORTH X THERE SHOULD BE NO UNNECESSARY ARREST AND DETENTION OF YOUTHS X COLLECTING OF PHONES X CHECKING OF PHONES X AT CHECKING POINTS X THESE SHOULD STOP X THIS ATTITUDE IS Portraying THE Nigeria POLICE FORCE IN BAD IMAGE X ALL THESE CULMINATED TO END-SARS PROTEST X DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTIES X KILLING IN THE PAST X NIGPOL DOPS DIRECTS YOU DESIST FROM SUCH UNLAWFUL ACTS X ANYONE CAUGHT WILL BE DISCIPLINE ALONG WITH COMMANDS COMPOLS/SUPERVISORS AS INGENPOL WILL DEPLOY MONITORING UNITS FOR Enforcement OF THIS DIRECTIVES X TREAT AS VERY IMPORTANT.”
It was reported that human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, warned that the Inspector-General of Police was illegally occupying the seat of IGP and that his mission was to destroy the Nigerian police.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), said Egbetokun had deliberately been engaging in egregious violations of human rights since he was appointed and his tenure illegally extended by President Bola Tinubu.
The former presidential candidate, in a post on his social media handle, had said that the IGP must be stopped before he completely destroyed the Nigerian police.
Sowore wrote, “This illegal IG of @PoliceNG, Kayode Egbetokun, has engaged in egregious violations of human rights since @officialABAT appointed him and illegally extended his tenure.
“He was the person who ordered the murders of #EndBadGovernance protesters, he orchestrated the prosecution of minors for treason, he has assisted powerful elites in arresting and jailing their critics, including @delefarotimi whom he abducted from Lagos to Ekiti on behalf of Chief Afe Babalola, SAN.
“Speed Darlington, a musician is languishing in detention because he had a beef with @burnaboy, @IjeleSpeaks2 has spent months in prison now because IGP Egbetokun connived with Evang.
“Chukwuebuka Obi to silence him, and now this lady, Olamide, had to be flown to Abuja because she made Facebook posts about the IGP and @Princemoye1, who’s had personal issues with her in Ogun State.
“IGP Kayode Egbetokun will destroy the Nigeria Police if we don’t act now.”
It was also reported that the Nigeria Police Force on Saturday transferred female activist Abiodun Olamide Thomas, who was “abducted” from her home in Lagos State by lawless police personnel to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja.
A human rights advocacy organisation, the Take-It-Back Movement (TIB), which made this known in a post on its social media handle said that Thomas was transported by illegally constituted Nigeria Police Force Courier Service to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport en-route Abuja.
The organisation had said that the activist was moved to Abuja to face an illegal trial “sponsored by President Bola Tinubu through FPRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi and the IGP.”
