In a bid to curb human rights abuses and restore public trust, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on Tuesday, issued a directive banning arbitrary arrests, detention, and searching of phones of road users by police officers across Nigeria.
The warning was contained in a police wireless message with DTO: 111996/ and Ref: CB:0900/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.TIO/157, titled: Order and directives: Arbitrary Arrest and Detention’, dated December 13, 2024, and addressed to all the state commands.
In the letter signed by the Department of Operations for the Force Headquarters, Egbetokun stated that such impunity and unlawful attitudes are portraying the Nigeria Police Force in bad light.
He warned that going forward, any police personnel caught indulging in the prohibited acts would be punished including the Commissioner of Police of the command and their supervisors.
It partly read, “Arbitrary Arrest, Detention: NIGPOL DCPS Abuja Directs: Henceforth there should be no unnecessary arrest and detention of youths, collecting of phones, checking of phones, at checking points.
“These should stop. This attitude is portraying the Nigeria Police Force in a bad image. All these culminated in End-SARs protests; destroying of properties, and killings in the past.
“NIGPOL DOPS directs you to desist from such unlawful acts. Anyone caught will be disciplined along with Commands ComPols/Supervisors as INGENPOL will deploy monitoring units for enforcement of these directives. Treat it as very important.”
