The Criminal Justice Administration Oversight Committee (ACJMC) has lamented the living conditions of detained suspects sleeping on bare floors in various police detention centers.
Sulayman Dawodu, executive secretary of the committee, said this during tours of some police divisions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The ACJMC, established under section 470 of the Criminal Justice Administration Act (ACJA), and chaired by the Chief Justice of the FCT Superior Court, distributed mats and simplified versions of the law to police divisions during the visits.
“The basic minimum standard is that no detainee should sleep on the floor. The ACJMC has deployed 25 divisions in the Federal Capital Territory to pilot the scheme,” said Mr. Dawodu.
The tours began on January 6. The commission has visited 17 police units of the 25 foreseen in the FCT.
So far, the committee has visited the FCT police divisions in Durumi, Maitama, Apo, Lugbe, Dutse, Kubwa, Lifecamp, Wuye, Mpape, Mabuchi, Utako, Bwari, Nyanya, Karu, Jikwoyi and Asokoro.
All divisions visited received five copies of the ACJA, five copies of the simplified ACJA and 25 sleeping materials each.
Mr. Dawodu stated during the ACJMC tour on Tuesday that the goal of the campaign was to improve custody management and detainee care in all police stations across the country.
He also said it was to ensure that police personnel understood and applied the ACJA, the law that guides the criminal justice system, including criminal court proceedings.
He added that the basic minimum standard of the law is that suspects should be treated as humanely as possible. According to him, this would go a long way to ensuring the participation of detainees in investigations.
Mr. Dawodu added that the committee was using Abuja as a model for other states to follow.
ACJMC Secretary Presents Copies of ACJA to Mpape DPO, Nababa DPOs React
Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) who visited during the tours praised the committee’s gesture and expressed their commitment to making the best use of the sleeping materials and copies of the ACJA.
Godfree Ogbedie, chief superintendent of police and DPO for the Utako division, said he was overwhelmed by the gesture, which he said would help improve police professionalism.
He added that treating a suspect with dignity should be the focus of the police.
Mr. Ogbedie added that the well-being of victims should also be considered as much as attention is given to suspects.
Wuye Division DPO Harrison Oruruo, who is also the chief superintendent of police, promised that the police would do their best to comply with the ACJA’s provisions.
ACJMC Team with Utako DPO, Godfree Ogbedie and PRO, FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh ‘Why visits seem delayed’
In response to our reporter’s query about the apparent delay in action on the problems identified in the police stations, Mr. Dawodu explained that the committee had been planning for some time but was unable to implement it due to lack of funds. He said the expected fund only came a few months ago.
“ACJMC has started conducting supervisory visits in accordance with section 34 of the ACJA, which requires the magistrate to inspect police stations at least once a month.
“The committee has been in charge of organizing most of these inspections, and during these visits, the committee has observed and identified the dire state of custody management in police stations,” added Mr. Dawodu.
Mr. Dawodu added that the ACJMC had accredited representatives permanently stationed at police stations to monitor and report on police activities.
The representatives, according to him, will be selected from the Police Station Duty Lawyers Program, which will launch on January 14.
He added that the committee would continue to visit these police stations on a monthly basis.