Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana has requested that the court order Inspector General of Police Usman Baba to designate at least one police officer who is a lawyer to each station in Nigeria.
According to Falana, their responsibility is to promote human rights compliance by officers of the division.
In a suit filed before the federal high court sitting in Lagos, Falana also asked the court to determine whether the IGP is required to obey section 66(3) of the Nigerian Police (Establishment) Act, 2020.
Section 66(3) of the act states: “There shall be assigned to every police division at least one police officer: (a) who is qualified to practise as legal practitioner in accordance with the Legal Practitioners Act; (b) whose responsibility is to promote human rights compliance by officers of the division.”
The defendants in the suit are the IGP and the Police Service Commission (PSC).
“Question for determination: whether the defendants are not under a legal obligation to assign a police officer who is a legal practitioner to every police station in Nigeria to monitor human rights compliance?” the document reads.
“A declaration that by virtue of Section 66(3) of the Nigerian Police (Establishment) Act, 2020, the Defendants are required to assign at least one police officer who is a legal practitioner to every police station to monitor human rights compliance.
“An order directing the Defendants to assign at least a police officer who is a legal practitioner to every station in Nigeria to monitor human rights compliance forthwith.
