Solomon Arase and the Rebirth of Nigeria Police

Segun Atanda/

When Dr Solomon Ehigiator Arase was appointed as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in April 2015, it was one year and two months to his retirement date of June 21, 2016 which was his birthday.

On the day his predecessor, Mr Suleiman Abba, was handing over the baton of police leadership to him, pundits were wondering what magic Arase would perform in such a short period.

But Arase came prepared.

The retired IGP, who is 62 years old today, came with an agenda which has inscribed his name on the tablet of eternity.

He had served as Personal Staff Officer (PSO) to four IGPs and he was the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Intelligence under IGP M.D. Abubakar.

Based on his belief that Nigeria Police should face a new direction in its method of investigations, Arase had written a book on Intelligence-led policing.

That was one of the new prospects he brought on board when he assumed office.

Arase wanted to arrest the disintegration of the police institution and restore public confidence, so he set up the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Police Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU).

Then, Arase sought the support of the British Government to adequately equip the IRT and train its personnel for maximum efficiency.

When the equipment arrived, Arase set up a base at the Force Headquarters, in Abuja, and yanked off the accomplished Officer-in-Charge of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos, SP Abba Kyari, from his base in Ikeja to lead the IRT.

Kyari has since notched up three ranks, now a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) based on his efficient coordination of the team and their superlative accomplishments in solving crime mysteries quickly with the modern gadgets and training they’ve received on intelligence-led investigations.

According to Arase, the IRT was established to act as a highly mobile, elitist, technology-driven, fully equipped and well-motivated Unit that could consume and utilise quality intelligence and deployed for special operational intervention in support of State Commands in the management of high-profile and complex cases like kidnapping and armed robbery.

Arase’s successor, IGP Ibrahim Idris, has maximised the gains of the modern gadgets with additional supports to the IRT.

Before Arase established the PCRRU, the police had the PMB A22 through which members of the public could send letters of complaints by post to the authorities, and there was the ubiquitoes Police Complaint Boxes planted everywhere by former IGP, Alhaji Musiliu Smith.

But PCRRU connects better with the people and it has put the earlier channels in the dustbin of history.

More and more policemen are now being dismissed after PCRRU investigates complaints of professional misconducts on Social Media channels manned by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abayomi Shogunle.

Arase also vigorously pursued Human Rights-driven policing policy and community partnership.

He also planned to introduce In-car camera, ICT monitoring/interface, Criminal Data Base access (for Patrol Vehicles), and fast track trials and restorative justice.
He frowned at such situations where detectives arrest and detain a suspect first before scavenging for evidence against the suspect, rather than discreetly obtaining evidence first before arrest.

He said at the time: “This practice alienates the police from the public, just as it creates fertile ground for corruption (often associated with bail processing) and civil litigations resulting from unlawful detention.

“Similarly, due to non-engagement of intelligence led policing values, NPF lacks informed operational planning ability. This has resulted in the usual re-active policing practices associated with the Force, the perception by the citizens of police’s operational inefficiency and above all, the usually very huge but avoidable fatalities to police officers on operations.

“To address this, and in line with best international policing practices, the concepts of intelligence-led policing and community partnership will be adopted as the core policing principle and strategy of this administration.”

He noted that the inability of the Police to fully integrate the concept of Intelligence-led Policing and community partnership to policing is identified as a factor that engenders the police culture of abuse of powers of arrest and pre-trial detention as well as poor operational planning competency of the Force.

Arase’s agenda analysis reads in part: “Corruption has destroyed most of our national institutions including the NPF. It has been identified as the most critical factor holding the Nigeria Police back from the path of quality and professional service delivery.

“NPF that is supposed to champion the national anti-corruption drive has in itself been consumed by the menace. This explains the loss of public respect and confidence in the Police, as well as the inability of the Police to effectively tackle crimes in the most ethical and professional manner.

“This administration intends to pursue a policing strategy that will leave no serving police officer and citizen under any illusion about its integrity, and firm commitment to national ethical rebirth and development. The drive will be clear, firm, and sustained.

“Aside corruption, the abuse of police powers at levels of minor interaction with the citizens, use of force, arrest, detention, investigation, and prosecution is an equally fundamental issue in police- public relations. These violations include what I define as CUSTODIAL VIOLENCE (including abuse of power of pre-trial detention, poor and inhabitable custodial facilities, violations of rights of detainees, forced confessions, commercialisation of bail process, extraction of confession by violence or threat and fabrication or suppression of evidence by detectives); assault, insult, misuse of firearms, and any other official police action that amounts to degradation of human dignity and deprivation of liberty and right to life in violation of provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Fundamental Human Rights provisions as enshrined in Chapter IV of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.

“Aside engendering miscarriage of justice, these acts represent fundamental violations that alienate the public from the police and expose the police to avoidable civil actions and Garnishee Orders.

“As a conscious strategy aimed at restoring public confidence in the Police, strengthen police-community relations, conform to international best practice in relation to protection of citizen’s rights, and protect the Force and its personnel from civil actions resulting from official abuses, this administration will vigorously pursue a human-rights driven policing policy at all levels of policing in Nigeria…

“A major challenge of policing in Nigeria is how to manage civil matters that have potentials of snowballing into criminal act as well as how to manage low-level crimes in a cost/time-effective manner.

“In addressing the challenge, the current trend in global policing is the incorporation of Mediation and ADR training into the broad human capacity development programme of Police Organisations.

“This is in recognition of its cost-effectiveness in relation to crime and crisis management, and its potency in preventing abuses often associated with arbitrary arrests which usually attract civil litigations against the Police

“The reality, however, is that the Nigeria Police currently does not have trained officers that could be referred to as qualified ADR experts that could apply mediation and ADR techniques in professionally addressing conflicts or civil matters that could generate into security threats in the country. Consequently, most civil cases are criminalised while precious time is expended on processing of low-level crimes by detectives.

“In addressing this challenge, this administration will work with ADR experts to incorporate the practice of ADR into policing functions in Nigeria.

“Modern policing is knowledge based. This is more so that modern criminals engage the best of ICT to perfect their crimes. In a digitalised world laced with complex crimes, the police can no longer afford to engage analogue policing models.

“Consequently, under my leadership, the Force will invest hugely in training and capacity development programmes for all cadre of officers as a strategy towards enhancing their professional knowledge in coping with modern realities of crime.

“Technology provides arrays of opportunities for the police in relation to crime management. Unfortunately, NPF is yet to take full advantage of launching into the technology-driven policing.

“This administration intends to revolutionise policing by integrating technology-driven solutions to all aspects of policing.”

To improve police practices, Arase had presented broad implementation strategies in the policy document entitled: Restoring Nigeria Police Primacy: Mission, Vision, and Strategy of IGP Solomon Arase and Management Team.

He listed the strategies as: Rejuvenation, refocusing, empowerment and motivation of the Monitoring Units, X-Squads and Provost Marshal Sections of the Force to enhance their competence and to effectively position them to lead the anti-corruption drive; massive and sustained nationwide deployment of the anti-corruption action Units of the Force for enforcement functions; In-house and national public enlightenment programmes; push for enhanced welfare and logistics empowerment as a preventive measure to petty corruption in the Force; encouragement of whistle blowing and reward mechanisms (for the whistle blowers) – The Stop the Bribe e-policing/social interaction platform emplaced for the Police by CLEEN Foundation was reinvigorated, publicised, and effectively utilised for this purpose; reward (including Awards and consideration for special promotion) for any police officer that exhibits commendable level of professional integrity and incorruptible disposition in the line of duty; firm disciplinary actions and prosecution of actors in corrupt practices, including the giver, taker and facilitators.

According to the policy document, a knowledge-based strategy was engaged as follows: Launch of a Revised Force Order on Use of Firearms.

The document, upon adoption, was also incorporated into NPF Training Syllabi at all levels.

Arase also had what he called: “Massive Human Rights and Musketry Training Programme and Certification for all Cadres in the Force.

He also pursued: Detention Policy that placed maximum premium on non-custodial investigations; massive public enlightenment campaigns on right to bail and the non-custodial approach to investigation; Command CPs/DC & AC Zonal/SCIDS and DPOs/DCOs were to be held liable for such violations within their AoRs and firm administrative and disciplinary actions were to be enforced to act as deterrence; the UN Human Rights Standards and Practice for the Police as encapsulated in the ‘Expanded Pocket Book on Human Rights for the Police; The Universal Declaration of Human Rights; The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (also known as the Banjul Charter); The Human Rights Protocol of ECOWAS and Chapter IV of Nigerian Constitution were adopted as the broad human rights standards for Nigeria Police. These were effectively incorporated into the Training Syllabi at all levels of police training in Nigeria.

The police under Arase constantly monitored cells and other police operations, and enforce compliance.
Efforts were made to broaden the Intelligence/Crime Analysis base of the Force, and the organisation established and equipped Intelligence/Crime Analysis Laboratory in all State Commands.

To enhance the new strategy, Arase had pledged to re-open the Force Intelligence School, in Enugu, which had been closed down for nearly a year, and commence massive training of Intelligence Operatives and detectives.

He also planned the completion and commencement of training activities at the Force Intelligence Institute in Share, Kwara State, for training of Intelligence Managers at strategic level; Inter-agency collaboration for purpose of intelligence sharing, and constant engagement of strategic stakeholders particularly, the Press, non-state policing actors, Youths Bodies, traditional rulers, opinion leaders, among others as a crime-control strategy at community level; full adoption and implementation of the Intelligence-led Policing and Operations Strategic Framework developed by the NPF in collaboration with UK Justice For All Programme (J4A); organisation of geo-political based police-community partnership workshops; collaboration with the NCC towards the immediate re-activation of the 911 Short Call Code and exploration of possibility of creating a police social interactive network (e-crime reporting platform) to support prompt and confidential information in-flow and outflow between the citizens to the Police on crime, emergencies and professional conduct; adoption of ADR principles of Case Diversion, engagement of ADR Expert to work with the Police in the development of implementation framework; enhancement of ADR Capacity of DPOs/detectives/officers in Legal Department in the NPF through tailor-made training, and establishment of National Criminal Data Base (Criminal Investigations Record System).

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