Vice President Prof . Yemi Osinbajo has told a US delegation that the proposed reform of the Police will be a game-changer in ensuring an end to impunity.
This was disclosed in a tweet by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, via his official Twitter handle.
According to Vice President, “The plan of both the Federal & State Governments to investigate Police brutality & prosecute erring Police officers, create new State-based Security and Human Rights Committees, as well as providing compensation to victims of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units, would be a game-changer in ensuring an end to impunity.”
This is a sequel to the public outcry for the re–structuring and overall rehabilitation of the security architecture owing to the high incidence of gross violations and abuse of fundamental human rights by the police and other security operatives in the country.
The reforms have become necessitated by reports of police brutality, extortion, unlawful arrests, and extrajudicial killings.
The United States Government has condemned the shooting of unarmed demonstrators by military forces in Lagos, leading to death and injury.
The U.S. Department of State, in a statement yesterday tagged ‘Ongoing Protests in Nigeria’, said, “The US government strongly condemns the use of excessive force by military forces who fired on unarmed demonstrators in Lagos, causing death and injury.
It welcomed an immediate investigation into any use of excessive force by members of the security forces. Those involved should be held to account in accordance with Nigerian law.
The US government extended its condolences to the victims of the violence and their families.
