The Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR) wants the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to end unlawful detention in Nigeria.
At a press conference held on Sunday at the Liberation Center in Ijaiye, Lagos, Alex Omotehinse, CHSR's national president said the police boss needs to immediately check illegal detention, abuse of authority, police violence, and violations of citizens' rights.
“As a rights group, we have received several complaints from Nigerians across the board on cases of harassment, intimidation, exploitation, favoritism, and bias from police officers,” he said.
“We observed in the course of discharging our duties and settling disputes, some police officers, mostly the lower cadre, engage in actions contradicting the Nigeria Police Act and 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
“We demand that the IGP be firm and resolute in curbing actions and inactions of some police officers that usually drag the institution’s name in the mud,” Omotehinse added.
He continued by saying defendants using favoritism to get police cases transferred without regard for the complaint was concerning.
According to the CHSR president, connected individuals, working with some police personnel, often influence the system based on the weak point of the complainant or defender.
“They do this to avert justice by impacting sufferings and pain on the less privileged, who may not have the connection and resources to go around.
“This is the point where we are as a country and more reasons our correctional centers are densely congested,” he said.
