Tina Amanda
International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Rivers, has called for the enforcement of Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) in all Police Divisions in the state, in order to end the continuous human rights violations.
The Deputy Country Vice President, FIDA Nigeria, Evelyn Asimea, made the call during an advocacy outreach to sensitize Police Officers of the Akuku-Toru Police Division and the people of Akuku-Toru communities on knowing their rights, organised by FIDA Rivers with support from Mac-Authur Foundation.
According to the Deputy Vice President of FIDA, most Police officers are unaware of their operations as contained in the ACJL Law as well as the citizens who are ignorant of their rights in the law.
Asimea explained that it is against the law of ACJL for a suspect to be arrested and tortured, brutalized or stripped naked, just as she maintained that it is against the law for Police personnel to make arrests on civil matters rather than criminal matters which the law only permits.
“We have a project funded by Mac-Authur to sensitize the people of Akuku-Toru as well as Police officers posted in the local government area on the Administration of Criminal Justice Law ACJL. We believe that continuous sensitization is necessary, the more we get to communities like this to tell people their rights, the more they know of existing laws because this law has been in existence since 2015.
“From our going around so far, we found out that the police and stakeholders that are supposed to implement this law are not aware of it, the people do not know the content of this law. With the partnership we are receiving from various bodies, this enlightenment will continue and the people will be well informed on how to deal with issues on human rights violations and the wrong procedures in dealing with such matters.
“The importance of this law is to streamline for easier work, the ACJL Law takes care of procedures on how the Nigerian Police should operate. It provides quick dispensation of justice. According to the law, it is wrong for the police to arrest, hit, torture, stripped naked a suspect or treat a suspect in an inhumane manner.
“Under the law, a suspect still has right until convicted. The ACJL is against police officers making an arrest on civil matters, the law only permits Police to make an arrest on criminal matters or on a civil case that involves assault, neither does the law permit the police to recover debt because they are not debt recovery agency.
“The ACJL Law also orders the police to Mann decent cells and not to delay in gathering of evidence or charging suspect to court within twenty-four (24) hours. The law permit women to bail right and frown at Police personnel arresting another in place of someone, this and many more are the rights contained in the ACJL which should be known to all of them.
“FIDA Rivers will keep doing its best to enlighten the Police and whatever it will take to protect and enforce the law we should all do it. People should not be intimidated by the failures of yesterday. We have had people complain that police would not listen to them should they insist on the right to be done as the law states. If everybody puts up the courage to ensure the right thing is done, the country will be far better than where we are today.”
Also, Chairman Akuku-Toru local government area, Roland Sekibo, said he will use his office to ensure his people get the proper knowledge of their rights as contained in the law while reiterating his partnership and support with FIDA Rivers.
“What we would do as a council is to partner with FIDA, they made a request that we should provide a liaison office, we will immediately set up a place for them. So our people will know their left from their right, to avoid the Police and other security agencies unnecessarily taking advantage or intimidating them.
“Sometimes too, we as a people are in a hurry to free ourselves from police custody. If for instance, a police officer makes an arrest and want the individual to do what they are not supposed to do, they should insist on not doing it. The moment we begin to enforce our rights as a people, the police will not intimidate us, because the police know we are always in a hurry to part with money, so we should stop bribing the police in order to stop encouraging the wrongdoings.”
However, some participants in the advocacy outreach thanked the association for an eye-opening awareness, as their rights will no longer be trampled upon by security personnel.
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