Police commissioners warn officers and men against extortion

Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni,  on Thursday, warned officers and men of the command against extortion at the stations or when on patrols.
Owoseni gave the warning while inaugurating the rehabilitated Ikeja Police Station.
He urged officers and men to embrace ‘the Change begins with me’ campaign initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari by avoiding conduct that would bring the Force into disrepute.
”Let the change start with you in your action with members of the public. We want to see officers on the road doing the right police work.
”We do not want to see officers collecting money from Keke marwa or commercial buses. We say bail is free, no officer should do the contrary.
”Police officer is not a debt collector,” he said.
Owoseni commended the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Bayo Olasoji and Ikeja community for rehabilitating and equipping the police station.
The CP described the project as a good example of police/public partnership programme.
He, therefore, urged other senior police officers to add value to any offices they may be posted without waiting for special grant from the Force Headquarters.
Earlier, the DPO, Bayo Olasoji said he decided to rehabilitate the station with a view to create more offices for the officers and men in the division.
Olasoji said within  four months of his deployment to the division, the community, officers and men contributed money and materials to make the station a modern one.
He said every unit of the division now has enough offices for it personnel.
Police Community Relation Committee members, Ikeja Residents Association and police personnel were in attendance.
Also, FCT Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Mustapha, has assured that officers and men of the command would be more human right conscious.
Mustapha spoke on Thursday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy visit to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
He said that apart from meeting the Acting Executive Secretary of the commission, the visit was to rekindle the long existing relationship between the two organisations.
Mustapha assured NHRC of the continued support of the police to defend the rights of the citizens.
“We are very much around you and also to give you a word of support that we are conscious that you are on the seat and we are going to collaborate with you because the commission is very important.
“As a custodian of law and order, we are at the fore front in defending the rights of the people; therefore, coming to see you is very necessary.
“In the FCT, we will try as much as possible to make our officers and men professional and observers of human rights.
“We are trying to make it as possible as we can to enforce human rights through training.
“As usual, you have given us help in the training of our officers and men, so we are here just to make sure that things work out well.”
In her response, Mrs Oti Ovrawah, the Acting Executive Secretary of the commission, said that the commission was glad to receive the police commissioner and his team.
“This is the second visit and this is to show that you believe in human rights and you want to strengthen the relationship with the commission.
“The commission cannot move forward without partnering with the police, because you are the first respondents; the first human rights defender the people will run to.
“This is why the message is that the National Human Right Commission must work with the police.
“Although we’ve had a lot of training and programmes together, we hope to improve on this by next year.
“This is because human rights protection and promotion is not just a job for one institution. We all must play our own parts,” she said.
Mr Abdulrahman Yakubu, NHRC’s Director of Protection and Investigation, reaffirmed that the police had always supported the commission.
“We’ve worked together on so many areas of concern and we are aware that the police force is doing everything possible to continue to sensitise and enlighten its personnel in respect to their duties and responsibilities on the protection of human rights.
“We quite commend your effort on that regard and I am happy to say that in the FCT, all the officers had been supportive and any time we have the need to call on them, they are very responsive.
“But we have certain observations and these have to do with two main areas, which would be discussed later; one of that is the issue of bail,” he said.