Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has
condemned the recent arrest and parading of Mr
Dickson Akor, the National Commandant, Peace
Corps of Nigeria, by the Nigerian Police.
Falana spoke with newsmen on Saturday in Abuja
after securing the release of Akor from police
custody. The police in a combined operation with
the Depart of State Services and the Nigerian
Army on Feb. 28, raided the headquarters of the
Peace Corps of Nigeria in Abuja.
During the operation, they arrested Akor and 48
other members of the corps.
A statement issued by the Police Spokesman,
Jimoh Moshood, said intelligence reports showed
that the Peace Corps and other similar groups
were acquiring weapons and conducting covert
trainings in different locations across the country.
In the statement, Moshood said such action
violated a 2013 gazette of the Federal Government
that banned such groups.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), who
described police invasion of the headquarters of
the Peace Corps of Nigeria as illegal and
unconstitutional, said that the organisation was
not operating illegally.
“Generally, the parade of criminal suspects in the
country by the Police is illegal.
“In this case, apart from the registration of its trustees
under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, there
are two judgments of the Federal High Court
restraining the police from harassing and intimidating
members of the organization.’’
The human rights lawyer said that he was also
negotiating for the re-opening of the office of the
Peace Corps of Nigeria.
“They must be allowed to operate under the law and
we will get to that state where the police will
appreciate that Nigeria is under-policed.
“We need volunteers, young men and women who
should be organised by the state to handle those
duties that will not require the intervention of the
Police,’’ he said.
The human rights lawyer emphasised that crime
like terrorism, herdsmen attack, armed robbery
and kidnapping thrive in the country because the
country is under-policed.
“As at 2011, the Federal Government of Nigeria
decided to engage the services of 380,000 police
personnel, between then and now, only 10, 000 are
being employed.
“There is no way you can police about 180 million
people with barely 380, 000 police personnel out of
which about 120, 000 are guiding the elite and
corporate bodies in the country.
“I thought the police should have embraced a body
like the Peace Corps of Nigeria to make their job
easier because the Nigerian Police operates under
very difficult situations.
“Most communities are not policed, so herdsmen
move into farms and kill people.
“Nigerians have not developed a litigation culture of
challenging the killing of every citizen either directly or
indirectly for which the government can be blamed,’’
Falana said.
The National Assembly on Nov. 24, 2016 passed
a bill, which gives approval for the establishment
of the Nigerian Peace Corps as an agency under
the Ministry of Interior.
The Nigerian Peace Corps Bill seeks to empower,
develop and provide gainful employment for the
youths.
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