By Tony Akowe, Abuja

Distrust between the police and members of the public is worrisome, Inspector-General Mohammed Adamu said on Wednesday.

He, however, said the Federal Government was using community policing to restore confidence between the police and Nigerians.

According to him, the lack of trust was one of the major challenges facing the Force and hampering effective discharge of its assigned responsibility.

IG Adamu spoke at a policy dialogue on policing organised by the House of Representatives to collate views on a Bill to amend the Police Service Commission Act as part of police reforms promised by the House of Representatives.

He was represented by Olusola Oyebade, a Deputy Inspector-General (DIG), who said the police leadership was working to make amends on confidence and trust.

He disclosed that the introduction of community policing was part of the efforts aimed at rebuilding the lost confidence between the people and the police, adding that the police has constitutional right to use his weapon to protect himself, they have been told to ensure no loss of lives during their operations.

The IG said: “For the management, we are doing a lot to bring back confidence. In the first instance, you know that the police job is supposed to be service-oriented. So, we are doing training and retraining of the men to be able to get them in the right mind and right position to do what they are supposed to do.

“With what has happened, the leadership of the Nigerian police took a step, a stand that we have to manage the system in a way that we have minimal loss. We all know that constitutionally, the police have legal rights to live and legally speaking, the constitution guarantees a position where they can even use their fire arms to defend themselves when the situation demands.

“Now, a major problem is lack of confidence between the police and members of the public. That’s why the present administration came up with community policing and we are trying to see how it will work.

On how community policing will bridge the gap between the police and the people, he said: “It’s going to be community-driven and problem-solving. We want to involve the community, the locals to be part of policing of the area.

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“They know the culture, the language and topography. That’s why we’re having the community policing initiative to train the locals to join us.

“So all these are being done, training of the personnel, bringing a lot of technical platform to track down the heinous crimes we are facing today in terms of kidnapping, and I know the House Committee has done a lot in giving us the support.”

Speaking on the bill, he said the statutory function of the Police was very critical and sensitive to the development of any nation, adding that what makes a policeman was the ability to do the work with passion.

“In the first instance, police are supposed to be accountable and there’s no doubt about it. With the coming of the Police Reform Act 2020, the Nigerian Police will go back and look at all of this,” the IG said.

Promising to study the copy of the draft legislation given to the police, he said: “What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. We are talking about policing, and we all know that with what we’ve seen today, a lot has to be done.

“We’re talking about reform, also in terms of welfare, training and retraining. What makes a police man is not just the English that he’s speaking or where he comes from, it takes a lot to know that somebody, especially the ability to do the work with passion.”

Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Olumide Akpata berated the rising wave of human rights violation and abuse by security agencies and those in authority.

He said the NBA has activated its human rights institutions and created a section in public interest and development.

Akpata said: “It’s through those bodies that we intend to continue our collaboration with the House of Representatives.

“It’s an ongoing conversation, even with the Police Service Commission act. So, the intention is to give powers to the Commission to intervene even at the level of curriculum, with regards to the police, so that we’re training our men to understand what the constitution provides when they get into the police force.

The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, who was at the dialogue, said the police as presently composed, was not predisposed to protecting human rights.

He said: “The way they are presently constituted, are they (police) able to do that (protect human rights)? If you want to give someone an assignment, it is another thing to equip and predispose that person to be able to carry out the assignment.”

PSC representative Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (rtd) said the proposed bill will help address the challenges faced by the Commission and enhance the operations of the Commission.

She said: “The PSC has been put under a lot of constraints and the constraints have adequately been addressed in the proposed bill which I believe that at the end of the day, if the bill passes through, a lot of these will be taken care of.”

Resident Country Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Mohammed Yahya lauded the timing of the dialogue, adding that an effective police service was critical to the development of any nation.

He said: “A society cannot function without a successful police service that upholds justice and security. If you ask or talk to many citizens, whom I’ve had the opportunity to engage recently, there is a huge deficit in police and policing in Nigeria. This is not a Nigerian problem.

Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, Usman Bello Kumo, assured the panel will take a critical look at the bill when it comes to it after its presentation on the floor of the House.

Kumo said: “Our report is going to be balanced, focused and very just, so that at the end of the day, as Nigerians, we are going to provide legislations that will guide our men who are policing this country. I’m privileged to chair this committee from 2004 to 2020.”