Police Remain Advocates of Peace, Unity – AIG Dali FCID

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in-charge of Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Enugu, AIG Kwazhi Dali, says police have remained advocates of peace and unity among neighbourhoods and communities.

Dali made this known on Sunday while speaking to newsmen in Enugu on the wrong impressions created against the police and the organization’s working procedure in the minds of some Nigerians.

The AIG noted that correcting the wrong impression goes with the IGP of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun, vision of having police force personnel that sticks to the tenets of the administration of criminal justice system and professionals in discharge of their duties.

He noted that the wrong impression, especially created by a few misguided lawyers, had made some Nigerians demonise the police, police stations/offices and some Nigerians deliberately avoiding the police.

The AIG, whose office covers investigations within South-East and South-South, explained that at no time in the organizational working of the police would a police officer want to naturally intimidate, handcuff or brutalise a law-abiding and peaceful citizen.

According to him, when petitions or allegations are received against a person from a complainant or from investigation; what the police do is to invite the person allegedly accused and for him/her to come to the station/office.

“At the police station or office; it is expected that the person explains his side of the matter or refutes the alleged complaint against him.

“If the police are not satisfied, he or she might be told to come another time or day on his own again without any coercion,” he said.

The AIG explained that most times an arrest is made when a person receives three or more invitations from police station/office/authority and he refuses to honour such invitations and might be handcuffed if he resists peaceful arrest.

“Police personnel are normal human beings doing a constitutional duty meant to bring peace and should never be perceived as an enemy by any law abiding and peaceful citizen.

“We need everybody’s cooperation and support to make the society peaceful and safe for all and the police is not out to embarrass, intimidate and infringe on anybody’s fundamental human rights,” he explained.

On the issue of pervasive land matters, Dali said that land matters remained civil matters, which should be handled by the court directly.

He emphasized that police had nothing doing with land matters or cases; except if in the course of the land issue, someone property is maliciously damaged or someone is attacked, injured or cased bodily harm.

“So what we treat as police is the criminal dimension of any land issue but the substantial (real) land matter or issue is totally referred to a law court for adjudication for parties involved.

“The members of the public should be well guided that land matters are for the law courts and not for police,” he said.

The AIG urged the mass media to assist in educating Nigerians on the operational workings of the police, and for them to know that police are advocates of peace and unity among neighbourhoods and communities.

“Lawlessness in any society leads to anarchy, lack of development and progress for all within such society. The police are out to prevent lawlessness and we needed cooperation and support of all,” he said.

He also revealed that the FCID Annex Enugu needed vehicular logistics; living accommodations for its senior officers as well as befitting office accommodations.