The Inspector-General of Police has given approval to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to commence an independent audit of detention cells in all police commands and formations in Nigeria, including those of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS).
This was made known in a tweet on the Government of Nigeria twitter handle @AsoRock.
According to the tweet, the visits will enable the NHRC oversee human rights situation of detainees as well as “undertake general audit of the state of detention facilities and cells in the country.”
The tweet reminded Nigerians that the Police Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) was available any time of the day to receive complaints of police misconducts.
The disclosure however, did not go down well with some followers who queried the need for NHRC to seek the IG’s permission before carrying out its legitimate business.
READ ALSO: In this 20th year of ‘democracy’
The NHRC was established by the Nigeria Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Act, 1995 as amended, to deal with all matters relating to promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in Nigeria.
Tweeting in response to the approval, Ayo Sogunro @ayosogunro said: “It is unfortunate that the presidency is implying that the IGP has to approve. The NHRC Act expressly gives NHRC powers to visit police cells and ascertain conditions there. The IGP is not above the law for him to decide on this. I blame NHRC for requesting instead of notifying.“
He tweeted further: “The proper approach for the NHRC is for it to notify the IGP of the date and places it intends to conduct the inspection. Whether the IGP is satisfied or not or whether he approves of it or not is irrelevant to the inspection.”
One@DimpleQueenC in his reply said, “a sensible government should have set up an independent investigation committee discreetly without informing the police….”
Other followers expressed the fear that the disclosure might lead to “hurried execution of detainees in order to get rid of evidence of their atrocities such as unwarranted arrests, invitation and extortions.”
