Worried by the extra-judicial killings allegedly
carried out by officers of the Nigeria Police
during the Boko Haram crisis, the Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Adetokunbo Kayode, has summoned
the Inspector General of Police and the police
leadership to discuss the issue.
Mr. Kayode said, over the past few weeks,
documentary and photographic evidence of
extra-judicial killings by Nigeria’s police has
dominated national and international
discourse.
“Specifically, I am refereeing to the Aljazeera
documentary on the Boko Haram unrest and
Amnesty International’s report alleging extra-
judicial killings by the Nigerian Police,” he
said.
The Minister, who briefed the press after his
meeting with the National Committee on
Torture, said he decided to convene the
meeting because of the growing unease
about Nigeria’s commitment to the
promotion and protection of human rights,
and specifically to the government’s position
on torture and extra-judicial killings.
He instructed the committee to put
administrative measures in place to
investigate the documentary on the killings,
stating that those who appear on the video
clip would be identified and made to face the
wrath of the law.
He said the visuals undermine our image as a
nation of laws that is committed to the
human rights provisions in its constitution as
well as its international human rights
obligations.
“A democracy as resilient as ours must reject
the false choice between our security and
fundamental freedoms and this is why we
cannot tolerate impunity disguised under the
cloak of security or any other guise,” he said.
Furthermore, he said policemen who were
involved in the alleged killings are now
facing orderly room trial and will be brought
to justice.
“Over 600 people, including police officers,
have been indicted by the investigating
committee set up by the Federal Government
to investigate the Boko Haram incident,” he
said.
Ignored crimes
Mr. Kayode also said the impression is that
extra-judicial execution and other unlawful
killings in Nigeria are widespread and go
largely uninvestigated and unpunished.
“My judgment on this is a matter of record.
In one of my very first speeches as the
Attorney General (of the Federation) and
Minister of Justice of the Federation, I did
state categorically that the Federal
Government of Nigeria unequivocally
condemns all extra-judicial executions and
other unlawful killings,” he said. “Going
forward, it is my strong believe that the
Federal Government of Nigeria has a solemn
duty to criminalise torture and make extra-
judicial executions punishable by sanctions
commensurate with the gravity of the
practice. This is an extraordinarily important
responsibility of the office of the Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, and it is one that will be carried out
assertively irrespective of any political
concern.”
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