By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – A Civil Society Organization, Committee for the Defence of Human Right, CDHR, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja Branch, weekend, enlightened Nigerians not to use the Nigerian Police Force as a debt recovery agency.

This was stated at a seminar titled: ‘Police!… Not a Debt Recovery Agency’ organised by CDHR, Abuja Branch in Bwari, where participants were made to understand that civil cases including debt recovery, marital issues, contracts, marriages and of land in dispute, among others are not criminal cases that the police are to handle.

In a communique jointly signed by the Branch Chairman, CDHR, Comrd. Awe Babatunde, and Branch Secretary, CDHR, Comrd. Perez Ayoola, explained that the essence of the seminar was to reduce the trust and credibility gap between the police and Nigerian citizens and to add more values to the perception and understanding the roles and responsibilities of the police in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the organization commended the lead presenter, Antony Eruaga Esq; Co-Presenters Godwin Udensi Esq; Tom Ability Esq; Ani Princess Esq, who represented Mary Akanbi Esq; Ali Gwoza Esq; The DPO Bwari Division CSP Babayola represented by DSP Emmanuel Damaap; and the representative of the officer in charge of Department of State Security Service, Bwari Division.

Also appreciated notable personalities of CDHR including the Chairman Board of Trusties (BOT), Mr Femi Fanala SAN; National President, Comrd. Yinka Folarin; and the Branch Patrons – Surveyor Abubakar Abdulkadri, Tpl Lukman Komolafe, and the Chairman, Kubwa Area Command PCRC, Deacon John Owens.

The communique reads in part, “The Nigeria Police are truly not debt recovery agency. Relevant references were cited from the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (As amended), the Police Act 2020, The (EFCC) Act and several Court decided Cases and Law reports.

“The Seminar went further to elucidate and highlight roles and responsibilities of the police with clear concepts and preferences for protection of life and properties and to be able to detect and prevent crimes and criminalities in all matters but not to interfere in civil cases and circumstances like debt Recovery, Marital issues, Contracts, Marriages and of course Land in disputes and no capacity to establish ownership, etc.

“It was also succinctly understood that the essence of the seminar was to reduce the trust and credibility gap between the police and Nigerian citizens and to add more values to the perception and understanding the roles and responsibilities of the police in Nigeria.

“The turnout of the general public and their participation in the Seminar was very low and beyond expectation and this can be understandably to be because of the negative and existing fears, negative notions and lack of faith in the civility ratings of the Nigeria police.

“Many were convinced and conceived the believe that possibly police may come for the arrest of attendees at the seminar.

“This appears quite a danger signal for the Police Authority to work on and improve on and in fact conceive it as a project on how to make Nigeria citizens to believe more in the Nigeria police and trusting that the police will honor their freedom of speech and the fundamental right of association to discuss freely situations and circumstances of the Nigerian police.”

In conclusion, CDHR in the communique asserted that, “The problem in our nation Nigeria is not only corruption but majorly the lack of respect of privilege few for human dignity, lack and fear of God transparently in abuse of office and its associated powers.”