AIG TASKS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY ON POLICE

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Mr. Azubuko Udah, has urged the human rights community to take cognisance of the problems and challenges confronting policemen in the discharge of their functions.

He said the efforts of policemen in crime prevention and detection should be appreciated rather than a blanket condemnation of the efforts of the force.

Udah spoke during the eighth graduation ceremony of Police Human Rights Desk Officers in Lagos on Thursday.

The AIG said it was sad that little concern was being paid by the human rights community to the death of some police officers.

According to him, human rights organisations should fight for the public as well as the police.

Udah added that given the risky nature of police work, no remuneration was too big for policemen.

The AIG further claimed that the police lost many of its officers during last year's Boko Haram crisis in Borno State and a recent communal crisis in Ebonyi State, saying that it was regrettable that little was being heard of the deaths.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, said the command had made progress in the enforcement of human rights, adding that there was the need for policemen to be conversant with the law and human rights principles.

He said, 'A good number of the members of the public are seeing us from a very positive angle. They remain very appreciative. They commend the good work we are doing here. That does not mean to say that we do not have some people who are still doubtful of where we are going. But in Lagos State, we are going somewhere.'

The Executive Director, Crime Victims Foundation, Mrs. Gloria Egbuji, advised Nigerians not to be complacent about the state of human rights in the country but should seek an improvement on the country's record.