The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu, has called for adequate funding by the Federal Government for intelligence, investigations and prosecution activities of the Nigeria Police Force.
DIG Argungu also said the government must ensure public accountability and transparency of all the activities of investigative units.
The chairman’s submissions were made known in a statement by the PSC Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, on Tuesday, December 3.
DIG Argungu spoke at a panel conversation on police leadership and police accountability organised for civil society representatives, policy makers, academia, leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and international partners by CLEEN Foundation.
The paper delivered by the PSC Chairman was entitled: “National Summit on Police Accountability: Reviewing External, Internal and Stakeholders Accountability Strategies and Mechanism of the Nigeria Police Force/Service.”
He said the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of FCIID should establish an internal public complaints and feedback system, adding that investigators must be open and transparent in their dealings and accountable to the people at all times.
DIG Argungu also noted that there should be ethics for police detectives and investigators, and must be enforced for professionalism.
He called for strict measures against officers of the Nigeria Police Force found in violation of human rights of citizens.
The PSC Chairman said that police officers connected to the act of torture, which is purely a strict liability offence contrary to anti-torture Act 2017, must be dealt with accordingly.
DIG Argungu also called on the federal and state governments to review the current passive and obsolete criminal justice system at their various levels, adding that it should be done in line with the current globalisation, computerisation and Nigerian environment.
He recommended the establishment of the FCT Police as pilot scheme to be called Metropolitan Police of FCT, Abuja just like the Nambian Metropolitan Police in Windhoek, the capital of Nambia.
According to him, certain ranks of police officers such as Constables to Chief Superintendents should be deployed to their locality to operate.
He stressed that members of the community should also be involved in the fight against crime and criminality in order to get to the root of the problem and “find lasting solution.”
