Indiscipline, lack of professionalism killing police force – HURIWA

Civil rights advocacy  group, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has decried the unprecedented levels of gross indiscipline, lack of professionalism in the policing Institution of Nigeria just as the group restated her reservation about the continuous appointment of retired Inspectors General of Police as Chairman of the Police ombudsman- the Police Service Commission.

HURIWA said over the years since retired IGPs have held and still holds the position of Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the commission is in constant decline in terms of strict exercise of her mandates because of the esprit de Corp that still exists between a retired IGP and the serving IGP, this defeating the essence of setting the body as an independent oversight agency that should stamp out all manifestations of indiscipline, unprofessional conducts and other unlawful conducts by Police operatives up to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police.

Specifically, HURIWA decried the involvement of many police operatives in all kinds of illegal duties including extortion of motorists which has continued across the Cpuntry wirh concentration in the townships of South East of Nigeria and Lagos state SouthWest of Nigeria even with the change of baton in the hardship of the Nigerian Police Force as well as the Police Service Commission. HURIWA is therefore charging both the Acting Inspector-General of Police and the newly inaugurated Chairman of the PSC to confront the hydraheaded monster of indiscipline in the Nigeria Police Force.

Worried by the deteriorating levels of indiscipline in the police, HURIWA is asking the chairman of the Police Service Commission, retired Inspector General of Police Mr. Solomon Arase to treat as a litmus test, allegations of unorofessional condicts compiled in a PETITION AGAINST UNPROFESSIONALISM, INTIMIDATION AND CONTINUED HARRASSMENTBY ACP (MEDICAL) CHINONYEREM LAWRENCE IN A CASE OF A PETITION AGAINST ONE PASTOR JERRY UCHECHUKWU EZE (OF SPRINGS OF JOY CHURCH) WHO ALLEGEDLY CIRCUMVENTED IN A LANDED DEAL WORTH A BILLION NAIRA WHILE ACP CHINONYEREM LAWRENCE, BARR BELLA RABANA, SAN AND THE CHURCH ARE USING FCIID TO TURN A PETITIONER INTO AN ACCUSED WITH A BAIL BOND OF N50M, dated 3rd August, 2023.”

HURIWA cited excerpts of the petition submitted to the PSC by the complainant Lawrence Omotayo and company based in the nation’sa capital as alleging thus: “We write to seek the intervention of your office to forestall once and for all, the impunity been displayed by one ACP Chinonyerem Lawrence (Medical), Barr Bella Rabana,SAN and her Church–Spring of Joy International headed by one Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu Eze.

“We wrote a petition against the Pastor to the office of the Inspector General of Police when the harassment, impunity and intimidation of the said Pastor became unbearable after he willfully and arrogantly circumvent in a landed deal of which they got the papers and information from my company and team believing that he has all the powers and connections to do whatever they like. But the most unfortunate of the whole scenario has been one ACP Chinonyerem Lawrence who bracingly displayed unprofessionalism both in our presence and that of the investigator – DSP Francisca Okafor (08036510932) on several occasions prompting the ACP to run to FCIID in her attempt to subvert justice with a false petition against the petitioner”.

“When the initial petition was received by the office of the IGP, it was referred to IGP Monitoring Unit, FCT Command for proper investigation and was assigned to DSP Francisca Okafor for investigation of which she did diligently and professionally. But the ACP Lawrence was not pleased with the truth that was unraveled in the course of the investigation aside her attempt to take over the matter in an office that is not hers (she physically sat over the matter and shut the petitioners out for hours leading to a mild protest in that office). She and Barr Bella Rabana, SAN connived and rushed to FCIID with a false petition against the petitioner and had the case file and everything transferred there when the investigation was already concluded – this act of professional misconduct necessitated the petition against the ACP to the Inspector General of Police (against her conduct). The parties (ACP and the petitioner and their lawyer) were made to appear before the PSO to IGP and directive was given that the case file and everything that has to do with the case be referred back to IGP Monitoring Unit – FCT Command for conclusion but several months passed and nothing was done while the initial petitioner has proceeded to FCT High Court in order to pursue Justice (it may interest the IGP to know that a bail bond of N50m was placed on a petitioner turned accused by the ACP and her team)”.

“What necessitated this petition is the call received by the leader of the team fighting for justice (Sir Lawrence Omotayo) on the 27th July, 2023 from SP Ogadimma Chukwu – 08126178404 of FCIID stating that the former IPO there (one SP Rowland (who failed to comply with the initial directive to return the case) handed to her the case file) claiming that she wants to commence investigation on a matter that was already investigated and in a court of competent jurisdiction while they failed to heed the instructions of the office of the Inspector General of Police to revert the matter back to IGP Monitoring Unit for conclusion of the report of the investigation conducted.

“Sir, we earnestly beseech you to use your good office in order to save the image and the integrity of the force from been brought into disrepute while seeking for justice at the same time.

HURIWA stated that prayers formulated in the petition tabled before retired IGP Solomon Arase are as follows:

1. Kindly direct the FCIID to allow the report of the investigation conducted to be prepared as this will be useful in the course of our struggle to get justice from the oppressors.

2. We want the bail bond placed on the lead petitioner cancelled because it was an act of injustice to have allowed the ACP, the SAN and the Church used the revered office of the FCIID in an attempt to perpetrate evil (through their purported petition) in the first place.

3. Direct ACP Chinonyerem Lawrence to stay clear of the whole processes henceforth so as justice can prevail and the institution of the Nigeria Police Force to truly be the friend of the citizens and not what she has been trying to achieve through the back door. We have on good authority that she has vowed to ensure that her Pastor (Jerry Uchechukwu Eze) never appear before anybody lo matter the amount of invitations extended to him. This she ensured because Pastor Jerry Eze shunned all invitations extended to him (officially) by the IGP Monitoring Unit, FCT. Evidence of this claim is with the investigator – DSP Francisca Okafor.

Lastly, the petition was quoted by HURIWA as affirming that “all we seek is justice without prejudice and we will be glad if this is achieved without interference. This will also go a long way in exhibiting once again the professionalism which the Nigeria Police Force is known for whenever they go on peace keeping operations of which they always win laurels and accolades”.

HURIWA said it will be Monitoring the performance of the institution of the police and the PSC because these are critical platforms necessary for the thriving or demolition of constitutional government depending on how the officers, men and the Police Service Commission treat a delige of petitions from members of the public reporting various infractions and misdemeanours of police operatives just as HURIWA has encouraged the PSC to inform Nigerians on the practical modalities for reporting cases against policing indiscipline even anonymously to avoid been attacked by the accused armed police operatives.