By Esther Onyegbula
The respect for human rights as one of the yardsticks to establish a robust relationship between the police and members of the public was emphasised at the book launch of Inspector Dan Babalola. Inspector Babalola, a policeman attached to the SCIID, Panti launched his book, Social Relations and Human Rights Development in Nigeria in Lagos at the weekend.
According to Babalola, he got the inspiration to write the book while he was thinking of ways to bring the people and the police close. “The inspiration to write the book came some years ago while I was in school. I kept thinking of ways to bring the people closer to the police so this title came to my mind so I picked up a pen and started work on Social Relations and Human Rights Development in Nigeria. Also I realised the need to change the people’s perspective about the police. The police is your friend and you are free to talk to the police.”
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This book has seven chapters and it will change the mindset of the people as it addresses issues of human rights. From the introduction, people will be enlightened on human rights as it affects the people and law enforcement officers. There is no need to torture suspects. When you interact with them as you should, they will voluntarily confess, he said.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Intelligence Investigation Department, SCIID, Panti, Mrs. Yetunde Longe who was represented by Officer-in-Charge, Homicide Section, CSP Rasaq Oseni also emphasised how the SCIID respects suspects’ rights.
She said that the SCIID is no longer what it used be as suspects are no longer kept in custody unnecessarily. “If you see suspects in our custody after two weeks of arrest, then it has to be a murder case. Gone are the days when you have overfilled cells at SCIID or cases not properly investigated leading to indefinite stay of suspects in SCIID custody. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal has always preached respect for rights of suspects and complainants. The SCIID of today is different from that of yesterday. The author is an inspector and I am sure he had done justice to the book.
