UPDATED: Buhari did not approve establishment of state, LG police - Presidency

President Muhammadu Buhari did not approve the establishment of state and local government police as was earlier reported widely on Monday, June 3, the presidency has said.

Garba Shehu, a spokesperson for the president, said Buhari only gave a specific directive that a three-man panel be set up to produce the white paper.

“The report of the white paper committee will form the basis of the decisions of the government on the many recommendations, including the setting up of state and local government police made by the Ojukwu panel.

“Until a white paper is produced, it will be premature and pre-emptive to suggest that the recommendations contained in the report have been approved by the President in part or whole,” he said.

However, the president also approved the dismissal of 37 police officers as recommended by the National Human Rights Commission Presidential Special Panel on Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) reforms.

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The recommendation was contained in the statement by the executive secretary of the panel, Anthony Ojukwu, during the submission of report on the reform of SARS, of the Nigeria Police Force, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The panel, according to Ojukwu received 113 complaints on alleged human rights violations from across the country and 22 memoranda on suggestions on how to reform and restructure SARS and the Nigeria Police in general.

He said: "At the end of its public hearing and having listened to complaints as well as defendants and their counsel, the Panel recommended thirty seven (37) Police officers for dismissal from the force. Twenty four (24) were recommended for prosecution.

“The panel also directed the Inspector general of police to unravel the identity of twenty two (22) officers involved in the violation of the human rights of innocent citizens.

“The police was directed to pay compensation of various sums in forty five (45) complaints and tender public apologies in five (5) complaints and directed to obey court orders in five (5) matters.

“The Police was directed to immediately arrest and prosecute two (2) retired senior Police officers found to have violated the rights of citizens (one for extra-judicial killing and the other for illegal takeover of Property of a suspect).

"The Panel also recovered two vehicles illegally auctioned by SARS officers and returned them to their owners."

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Some other key recommendations of the Panel include, significant improvement in the funding, kitting and facilities of the Nigeria Police Force; strengthening Information and Communication Technology of the Force; establishment of state and local government police.”

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian police are preparing to launch a mobile app which it says would help in its fight against the rising crime wave in the country. The app, called police-VGS, is in its test-running stage, the police said on Saturday, May 1, via Twitter.

The police said in a promotional video that the app would help citizens do quick reporting of crimes like kidnapping, robbery, cultism and domestic violence to the police.

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Source: Legit.ng