Police erred over restriction order on motorcyclists, says CDHR

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Ogun State branch yesterday faulted the restriction order on motorcyclists and operators of‎ liquor joints by the state police command.

The group ‎declared that only the state House of Assembly can take the decision to restrict movement and therefore, urged the police commissioner Abdulmajid Ali to reverse the prohibition order within 72 hours.

The police had ‎on September 1 restricted the movement of motorcyclists to 8:30 pm as well as ordered pubs and liquor joints to close by 10:00 pm following outbreak of cult clash in Abeokuta.

But CDHR, in a statement signed by its state Chairman, Comrade Folarin Olayinka, and Secretary, Akiyode Okikiolu, ‎said the order was unlawful.

It added that the directive negated the ongoing reformation of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, on the promotion of human rights among the police and the Nigeria populace.

The human rights group alleged that policemen had exploited the situation to forcefully extort N1,000 and above from motorcyclists across the state.

It, therefore, warned the state police command against usurping the function of the legislative arm of government, saying the security agency should devise other substantive professional means of sustaining effective policing in the state.

The CDHR said, “The inordinate pronouncement is not in the jurisdiction of the Nigeria Police Force who are supposed to be law enforcement agency and not law makers. It is the sole responsibility of the Ogun State House of Assembly should‎ situation proved to warrant such decision.

“We are not unaware of the various security threats posed by cultists and land speculators in the state, yet the command should not see that as an advantage to accommodate corrupt practice and gross violation of the people’s fundamental human rights as it is been experienced in some parts of Ogun State now.

“Since there is no law of Ogun State that prohibits the motorcycle operation, hence nobody should be seen to have committed offence by operating beyond 8:30pm and no court of appellate jurisdiction‎ would entertain such.”

The group advised the police command to embark on rapid human rights and ethical conduct under a democratic dispensation.