By KINGSLEY OMONOBI-ABUJA.
Police Affairs minister, Capt Caleb Olubolade (rtd) Thursday decried the incessant killing of Policemen during terrorism attacks and suicide bombings by the Boko Haram insurgents disclosing that under the present dispensation, police officers have become victims of human rights abuses as a result of the unprovoked attacks.

From left: DIG ‘F’ Department, Mr Atiku Kafur; Head,glo Public Sector and Right of Way, Mr Tunde Amunikoro,and the Representative of Acting Igp, Mr Kachi Udeoji, at the Inauguration of Police Cooperative Communication Network in Abuja on Thursday (5/7/12). NAN photo

Capt. Olubolade made this know when he received the Chief Researcher in Nigeria, of the International Human Rights body, Amnesty International, Mrs. Lucy Freeman, Capt. Olubolade denied allegations that policemen were involved in flagrant human rights abuses, especially in the northern part of the country where the Boko Haram insurgents have made life unbearable for the people, insisting that “it is the policemen that have become victims of human rights abuses as a result of incessant and unprovoked attacks on them”.

Towards minimizing perceived human rights abuse cases however, Olubolade told the Amnesty International official, the ministry has established a Police Performance Monitoring Unit which is mandated with not only monitoring and evaluating activities of police officers, but also handling public complaints resulting from them.

Expressing federal government readiness to welcome assistance by the international community in its efforts to address the current security challenges facing the country, as it was not an island unto itself, Captain Olubolade regretted that as the ministry was vigorously undertaking a reform of the Nigeria Police Force, the activities of the insurgent group, Boko Haram was stifling the efforts owing to its perceived international dimension.

Not withstanding however this, the minister expressed the hope that the ongoing reforms would result in an enhanced police force in all departments, including intelligence gathering, and training.

He emphasized that the new management teams in the ministry and the Police Force strongly encourage less periods of detention of suspects and fast prosecution of cases.

Earlier, Ms Lucy Freeman had told the minister that Amnesty International wanted to know the ministry’s position on the human rights implications of the security situation in the country, particularly on detention of suspects and processes of investigation.

She noted the concerns of her organization on two critical areas, namely the sustained killing of policemen and inadequate equipment at the disposal of the force for optimum performance.