Police Act 2020: Stakeholders Seek Implementation, Awareness

Stakeholders have demanded the implementation of the Police Act 2020 and the sensitisation of security agencies, especially members of the police force and the general public, regarding the provisions of the Act to ensure effective justice delivery.

The stakeholders made the demand on Tuesday at a town hall meeting to enlighten the public on human rights, the Police Act, and regulations in Borno State. The Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative organised the conference in Maiduguri, also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria ( PWAN ), in collaboration with the Foreign, Common Wealth and Development Office ( FCDO ).

A facilitator from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr Kelechi Akubueze, said the programme is an awareness campaign concerning the Police Act 2020 and citizens’ rights, adding that it will enhance how police perform their duties.

He said the police needed to have close-gap information as it concerns citizens, the public, and the police as well.

“Most citizens and the police need to be made aware of the provisions of the Police Act 2020. PWAN is bringing this awareness to the public and the police to cascade the training down to the people and police personnel.

“The reason the police are yet to implement the Act is because of the information gap. More knowledge is needed as to what the Act contains. The solution is to intensify the training, especially concerning the police so that they can be guided by the Act while on duty.

He took participants through some of the provisions of the Police Act 2020, such as the prosecution of cases in court by police personnel who are lawyers, which is contrary to what is happening in the courts, where police personnel who are not lawyers are still prosecuting cases in court against the provision of the Act.

He equally guided participants through the provisions of the Police Act, such as its objective, the power of police officers, the regulation of public meetings and rallies, and offences by police officers.

The programme officer of PWAN, Olekwu Obe, said the organisation is dedicated to enhancing citizens’ participation in Nigeria and West Africa, adding that the organisation is committed to strengthening the accountability of the security section towards improving access to justice.

Sharing her experience at the meeting, the Secretary of the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) said the town hall meeting had been an eye-opener to every participant in the administration of criminal justice in the State regarding prosecuting cases in the courts.

She promised to scale down what she had learned from the meeting to the general public and called for a robust sensitisation of stakeholders in the justice system regarding the provisions of the Police Act 2020.