The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd, mni), has emphasized the need for adequate funding for police intelligence, investigations, and prosecution activities.
In a press statement signed and made available to Diaspora Digital Media by Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Media and Publicity of the Commission, Argungu made this call at a panel conversation on police leadership and accountability organized by the CLEEN FOUNDATION.
The PSC Chairman stressed that the government must ensure public accountability and transparency in the activities of investigative units.
He also advocated for the establishment of an internal public complaints and feedback system within the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).
Argungu further emphasized the importance of ethics for police detectives and investigators, noting that these must be enforced to ensure professionalism.
He called for strict measures against police officers found violating human rights, particularly those connected to torture, which is a strict liability offense under the Anti-Torture Act, 2017.
The PSC Chairman also urged the federal and state governments to review the current criminal justice system, making it more effective and efficient in line with globalization, computerization, and the Nigerian environment.
In addition, Argungu recommended the establishment of the FCT Police as a pilot scheme, to be known as the Metropolitan Police of FCT, Abuja.
He suggested that certain ranks of police officers, such as constables to chief superintendents, should be deployed to their localities to operate, with the involvement of community members in the fight against crime and criminality.
The event was attended by civil society representatives, policymakers, academia, leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, and international partners.
Argungu’s paper, titled “National Summit on Police Accountability: Reviewing External, Internal, and Stakeholders Accountability Strategies and Mechanism of the Nigeria Police Force/Service,” highlighted the need for a more accountable and transparent police force in Nigeria.