The Nigeria Police kill hundreds of suspects annually while in detention, Amnesty International said yesterday, and called for the abolition of Order 237, which allows the police to shoot detainees who try to escape.
“Police don’t only kill people by shooting them; they also torture them to death, often while they are in detention.” said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme.
He spoke as he released Amnesty’s report: “Killing at will: Extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings in Nigeria,” at the Women Development Centre, Abuja.
“The majority of the cases go un-investigated and the police officers responsible go unpunished. The families of the victims usually get no justice or redress. Most never even find out what happened to their loved ones.”
“Police frequently claim that the victims of shootings were ‘armed robbers’ killed in ‘shoot-outs’ with the police or while trying to escape custody. These claims are often highly implausible,” he said.
Amnesty said that one of the main problems is ‘Nigeria Police Force Order 237’ under which police officers are allowed to shoot suspects and detainees who attempt to escape or avoid arrest – whether or not they pose a threat to life.
“Force Order 237 is so impermissibly broad. It simply gives police officers permission to shoot people. It is against international standards, and is being abused by police officers to commit, justify and cover up illegal killings,” said Erwin van der Borght.
In his reaction the Force Public Relation Officer ACP Emmanuel Ojukwu discountenanced the report saying “In the instant case of the Amnesty International’s report, it is quite obvious that the mission is to kill the Nigeria Police, wipe out her records and bury her aspirations.”
He said the organisation failed to give details of people allegedly killed by the Police. “If Amnesty International really spoke one-on-one with relations of the deceased citizens, and in their remote localities, what stopped them from confronting the local Police with their findings as to get on the-spot response from the law enforcement agencies directly involved in the alleged extra-judicial killings? It is trite that fair hearing should be accorded to parties before a position is taken. By not hearing Police side, Amnesty International has denied Police her human rights,” he said
He said the police have already begun investigation into the allegations contained in the Report. “Let the public be assured that the Nigeria Police Force does not consort with murderers in uniform. Any officer found to have violated the rules guiding use of firearms, treatment of people in custody, torture, bail etc will be appropriately sanctioned in accordance with the laws,” he said.
He added that the policemen have in the last ten years grown tremendously in its respect for human rights and the values of decent conduct. “Officers of all cadres have been trained, and are still being trained to conduct themselves in line with the ethics of the profession,” he said.