The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has announced a new plan it intends to use to curb the excesses of its personnel. The Force said hence, senior officers would be held responsible for the criminal actions of their subordinates.
On Saturday, the NPF public relation officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the thriving impunity in the Force is partly a result of superiors’ lenience in handling the misdeeds of their men.
“In a bid to reduce or possibly put a stop to extortion, harassment and brutality in the NPF, we will henceforth hold DPOs (divisional police officers) and Commanders responsible for the misdeeds of their men.
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“In as much as we don’t promote vicarious liability, we have equally noticed that some superiors fail or lack the willingness and/or wherewithal to supervise and manage their men,” he said.
Adejobi explained that the leadership gap resulting from the insouciance of senior officers is not in tune with the leadership styles of the IGP and his repositioning drives, thus, counterproductive and condemnable.
The Nigerian police has a long history of brutality, corruption and extrajudicial killings among other ills.
In 2017, the World Internal Security and Police Index International, (WISPI) rated the Nigerian Police the worst in the world. A record it has failed to significantly redeem itself from.
In October 2020, Nigeria witnessed the most successful demonstration in its history – the End SARS protest – a movement triggered by incessant police’s brutality, extortion and malfeasance. The Nigerian youths, who are largely the victims of police’s action and inaction, had taken to the streets demanding a police reform.
Although the Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit was disbanded, the protest, which ended with a government sanctioned massacre of protestors, has so far, failed to achieve its aim as the NPF operations have continued unchanged.
Nigerians have accused the police hierarchy of benefiting from the nefarious activities, thus shielding guilty officers from punishment. The idea of holding divisional police officers, commanders and commissioners of police responsible for the offenses of their unit has long been advocated.
Thus, the move to implement the idea is believed to be a bold step in reforming the NPF, since it will force the police hierarchy, in a bid to protect their job, to shun impunity.