“This administration intends to pursue a two-way approach in addressing the menace of corruption in the police.
“The first is to develop frameworks and interventions that will address roots causes of corruption. In this regard, official factors like logistics and welfare challenges that create grounds for corrupt tendencies by police officers will be vigorously addressed.
“The second approach is to purse a very robust anti-corruption enforcement strategy that will leave no serving Police officer and citizens under any illusion about its integrity and firm commitment to national ethical rebirth and development.
“The drive will be clear, coordinated, massive, firm and sustained and it will target and tackle issues relating to commercialization of bail process, the nuisance of road blocks, abuse of police powers, particularly in relations to pre-trial detention,” he reiterated.
Just few days after he was named the Acting Inspector General (IGP) of the Nigerian Police Force, Solomon Arase saw the need to restore the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to its pride of place as the primary law enforcement arm of the Nigerian polity. To achieve this, Arase held an urgent meeting with top brass of the Force where he reeled out what he christened Strategic Policing Plan.
A cursory look at the plan indicated that Arase was fully prepared for the IGP job. In the plan, he clearly and repeatedly stressed that he is out to restore the primacy of the Nigeria Police Force.
Also, in the plan, he emphatically stressed his hatred for corruption in any form and vowed to do everything possible to uproot the causes of corruption in the Force.
The plan was however attached with some riot acts to the police officers and members of the public who have the penchant of collecting bribe on one hand, and those who are fun of giving bribe to the police on the other hand.
Since his appointment, many analysts have described Arase as the finest intelligence officers the Nigeria Police Force has produced in recent times. It is not surprising therefore that they have openly expressed their confidence that he has what it takes to turn-around the already battered image of the Nigeria Police.
While discussing with the top police managers, Arase said: “One of the reasons we are here is to lay out the policy thrust of my administration and to define clear implementation strategies. The detail strategic policing plan which has been developed will be availed all strategic police managers here present for their strict guidance.”
The plan, Arase explained, is designed to courageously and professionally address critical issues affecting the optimal performance of the police, while also striving to restore citizens’ trust as a conscious strategy aimed at managing crime as well as enhance the national security.
Speaking on how he intends to pull out corruption which seems to have been engrave in the genes of most police officers, Arase noted that the loss of public respect and confidence in the police as well as its inability to effectively tackle crimes in the most ethical and professional manner have been widely attributed to the challenge of corruption within the policing system.
“This administration intends to pursue a two-way approach in addressing the menace of corruption in the police.
“The first is to develop frameworks and interventions that will address roots causes of corruption. In this regard, official factors like logistics and welfare challenges that create grounds for corrupt tendencies by police officers will be vigorously addressed.
“The second approach is to purse a very robust anti-corruption enforcement strategy that will leave no serving Police officer and citizens under any illusion about its integrity and firm commitment to national ethical rebirth and development.
“The drive will be clear, coordinated, massive, firm and sustained and it will target and tackle issues relating to commercialization of bail process, the nuisance of road blocks, abuse of police powers, particularly in relations to pre-trial detention,” he reiterated.
He expressed optimism that the enforcement process of this policy will engender the rejuvenation, refocusing, empowerment and motivation of the monitoring units, X-Squads and Provost Marshall Sections of the Force to enhance their competence and to effectively position them to lead the anti-corruption drive.
To show his seriousness to achieving the plan, Arase said, “Very soon, the nation will witness a massive and sustained nation-wide deployment of the anti-corruption actions units of the Force for enforcement functions.
“The enforcement initiative will, however, be laced with in-house and national/ public enlightenment programmes, whistle blowing mechanism, and push for enhanced welfare and logistics empowerment as a preventive measure to petty corruption in the Force.”
While warning would-be erring officers, the IGP stressed that the new anti-corruption crusade of the Force will take full cognizance of the appropriate sections of Nigeria’s criminal laws and hold both the giver and the taker of bribes accountable.
Accordingly, much as official corruption will be dealt with in the Force, corrupt-minded members of the public have been sternly warned to refrain from corrupting the police system as they will also be brought to the justice they equally deserve.
Strategic Plan/human rights driven policing
According to Arese, part of the strategic plan will address citizens concern for the custodial violence (including abuse of power of pre-trial detention, poor and inhabitable custodial facilities, violations of rights of detainees, forced confessions, misuse of firearms and any other officials police action that amounts to degradation of human dignity and deprivation of liberty and right to life in violation of provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Fundamental Human Rights provisions as enshrined in Chapter IV of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
On intelligence- led investigation/operations and Community Partnership, which his administration will also adopt as part of its strategy, Arase said that, this will engender massive training of intelligence and crime analysts as a conscious strategy of broadening the intelligence/crime analysis base of the Force, and establishment and equipment of intelligence/crime analysis laboratory in all State Commands.
Application of intelligence-led policing strategy, according to him, will discourage custodial approach to investigations as the intelligence assets of the Force would have been deployed to gather evidence before a suspect will be considered for arrest. It will also shorten the time between arrest and commencement of prosecution.
In order to tackle the frequent cases of Case Diversion, and fast track trials and restorative justice which are part of his plan, the IGP explained that “the plan is to collaborate with experts in the enhancement of our capacity to engage alternative dispute resolution options in peace, security and crime management in line with modern and global dictates.”
While reiterating the desire of his administration to engage cutting-edge technology and best practices to all levels of police functions in Nigeria as part of his strategic plan, he disclosed that this strategy will revolutionalise policing in Nigeria by navigating the Nigeria police from the current analogue and conventional policing approaches to engagement of full policing technology to all crime management and operational activities of the Force.
One of the ingredients of the IGP’s strategic plan that many believe is lacking in the current police force and which many also believe has led to the deterioration of the values and high capacity of the Force is human capacity development.
According to Arase, this plan will involve galvanising human development partners including the UN, UK, US, Commonwealth Secretariat and local and international NGOs to support the identification of the training gaps in the Police Force and provide appropriate interventions.
This, he stressed, will also entail the phased renovation and upgrade of facilities at existing police institutions to meet best international standards as well as the review of existing training curricula and standard with a view to aligning them to modern dictates.
In what many applauded as a step in the right direction, the IGP, in order to facilitate the attainment of the long-term objectives of these strategies, immediately motivated and directed the IGP Monitoring Unit, X Squad and Force Provost Marshall of the Force to immediately embark on massive anti-corruption enforcement operations.
“Any police officer caught, either through whistle blowing framework or direct operations of the enforcement unit of the Force will be appropriately dealt with in line with established disciplinary procedure of the Force and may additionally be prosecuted in the swiftest fashion,” he said.
While describing road blocks as public nuisance and points of corruption, the IGP immediately announced the ban on road blocks in all parts of the country.
“While visible policing will be encouraged, I wish to, in clear terms, re-emphasise that police road blocks remained banned. They are public nuisance, points of corruption and source of police-citizen frictions.
“The commissioners of police, Areas Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in whose jurisdiction illegal road blocks are detected will be personally or vicariously held liable and strict and swift disciplinary actions will be initiated against such officers,” Arase further warned.
Also, in demonstration to high premium placed in intelligence policing, the IGP instantly announced that the Nigeria Police Intelligence School, Enugu, which has been closed for academic activities for over a year is to immediately re-open and commence training activities for intelligence operatives, analysts and strategic intelligence managers to support the intelligence-led policing vision of his leadership. This has since commenced since Monday May 4, 2015.
In order to ensure that the maximum security needed to give Nigerian Magistrates, Judges and Justices the confidence to dispense criminal justice, the IGP also announced the immediate reconstitution and equipping of Judges Protection Unit.
Any nation, Arase explained, desirous of justice owes its magistrates, judges and justices the sacred obligation of protection, “this, I intend to advance.
“Consequently, police security details attached to civil commissioners and other unauthorized individuals across the country will be reduced or withdrawn as the case may be. The manpower drawn from this exercise will be committed to the rejuvenation of the Judges Protection Unit.”
While advising police officers and Nigerians to key into the strategic plan for a better Nigeria Police Force, Arase said: “It is now a matter of choice. For serving police officer, a choice between national service which will be dully rewarded and corruption which will be swiftly sanctioned.
“For the citizens, it is a choice between supporting their police to protect them with honour or compromising them to weaken their capacity and dignity.
“Whatever is the consideration, Nigeria Police has reached a turning point where it must rediscover itself, restore citizen’s confidence and prove that it has a cream of patriotic, disciplined and professional officers that can and will ensure the attainment of its mandate.”
He, therefore, assured the federal government and all Nigerians that the confidence reposed in him will not be misplaced as he is determined to deploy his broad professional and intellectual assets in providing quality professional leadership for the Nigeria Police Force.
“I can also reassure the nation of my firm determination to restore the lost primacy of the Nigeria Police while engaging in innovative policing frameworks to engender national peace and security,” Arase further promised.
However, the Network Of Police Reform In Nigeria (NOPRIN), a coalition of civil rights groups, has called on the Arase, to as part of the strategic plan, immediately commence investigation into the activities of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, (SARS). Allegations of torture and “disappearing” of suspects are rife in SARS nationwide.
Okechukwu Nwanguma, NOPRIN’s National Coordinator, said in the statement adding that the organisation was seriously concerned about the rampant abuse of legally established arrest and detention procedures by the police.
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