Benin City, Nigeria – Civil Empowerment & Rule of Law Support Initiative, CERLSI, has tasked new Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Adamu on the need to put value for the Rule of Law at the epicenter of his new mission for the police.
CERLSI Deputy Executive Director, Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku made the call in a press statement in Benin on Wednesday.
He said that with the coming elections in Nigeria in February 2019, a breakdown of peace and security would taint the ability of Mr. Adamu, and put a question mark on his capacity to lead a reform in the police force.
‘We are happy that at least Mr Adamu has made a statement that the police under his watch will stick to the rules. Our fear however is that CERLSI is not so sure which rules Mr Adamu intends to stick to.
“Prior to his appointment as IGP, the police under his predecessor was notorious for several infractions like his refusal to obey court orders, snubbing the Senate and conducting the police as an appendage attached to the interests of the authorities.
Instead of that, CERLSI seeks a police force under Mr Adamu that will respect the Rule of Law to reposition the police as a neutral arbiter in the coming elections” Mr Etemiku said.
The image of the police, he noted, has often been characterized by subtle partisanship during elections in Nigeria.
“Prior to the 2015 General elections, there was a hue and cry over the partisan involvement of the police, leading to the compulsory retirement of the then IGP, Suleiman Abba who had claimed to be under pressure from the then ruling party to influence the outcome of the general elections in their favour.
“Mr. Adamu has no need to impress Mr. President. All he has to do is do the right thing and that is applying the four tenets of the rule of law – accountability, justice, openness and accessible & impartial dispute resolution – to the general election of February, 2019,” Mr. Etemiku stressed.
