The Police Service Commission (PSC) has announced that disciplinary measures will be taken against police officers involved in human rights abuses or those who fail to operate within authorized limits.
PSC Chairman, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Hashimu Argungu, made this statement on Saturday in Enugu.
He spoke during a two-day South-East Stakeholders Summit on Peace and Security and a Public Hearing on Human Rights Violations, organized by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in collaboration with Southeast Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
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Represented by Ikechukwu Ani, PSC’s spokesman, Argungu stated that the South-East region had become a hotspot for insecurity and was also notorious for human rights violations.
He commended the organizers for initiating a discussion about the region’s security challenges.
Argungu emphasized that the Commission was deeply concerned about the widespread human rights violations committed by certain police officers, who often intervene in civil matters for financial gain, despite numerous warnings.
He expressed the Commission’s dissatisfaction with the abuse of power by some security personnel deployed to the region and called for the removal of these corrupt officers.
While acknowledging the high levels of insecurity in the South-East, particularly the ongoing attacks by radicalized youths, he argued that such circumstances should never justify corruption within security agencies.
He noted the ongoing corruption and extortion at roadblocks across the region, where security operatives were turning checkpoints into toll gates, coercing motorists to pay bribes under threat of force.
Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), in his welcome address, highlighted the pressing need for the stakeholder engagement to address the deep-rooted insecurity challenges in the South-East.
He expressed regret over the decline of the once peaceful and prosperous region into a state of anarchy and crisis, stressing the urgency of understanding the causes of insecurity in order to find effective solutions.
Nwanguma outlined the devastating impact of insecurity on local communities, with criminal groups wreaking havoc, causing death, destruction, and displacement.
He described the ongoing terror, including kidnappings, killings, sexual violence, and the disruption of education, which has left communities in turmoil. He called for collaborative efforts to tackle these challenges.
The RULAAC director commended Governor Peter Mbah for his successful security efforts in Enugu State, noting the positive outcomes that had made the state relatively safer compared to others in the region.
He praised the establishment of the Enugu State Security Trust Fund and the creation of a state-of-the-art surveillance system, underscoring the governor’s commitment to public safety.
Nwanguma also praised other governors in the South-East for establishing regional security outfits to support the police and other agencies but cautioned that these initiatives must respect human rights and follow due process.
He urged state leaders to increase funding for security and human rights initiatives and to work together regionally, recognizing that insecurity is both a local and global issue.
