A cross section of participants at the workshop
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development has organized a one day capacity building workshop on how to enhance civil-police relations, operational standards as well as code of conduct and laws for officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force, Borno State Command.
Speaking at the workshop on Tuesday in Maidugiri, The Executive Director, Allamin Foundation, Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, said the training programme was organized for the participants in order to acquaint them with the basic knowledge in the protection of children’s rights in line with the stipulations of the Child Rights Act.
Hajiya Allamin, who was represented by the Reintegration Project Manager of Allamin Foundation, Mr. Samuel Orahii, added that the workshop was also aimed at understanding Borno stakeholders’ perspectives on transitional justice, reconciliation and peace building.
He said the workshop would afford the foundation the opportunity to get policy recommendations from relevant stakeholders for the implementation of the transitional justice programme.
The project manager, further, expressed appreciation to the NPF and facilitators for their untiring support in imparting knowledge on the police personnel on how to have a cordial working relationship with the civil population in the society.
On his part, Dr. Dauda Sharafa of Mass Communication Department, University of Maiduguri, said the training will afford the law enforcement officials the opportunity to enhance their work and operate professionally in accordance with the stipulated laws in their community policing.
Dr. Sharafa in his presentation, dwelt extensively on why state security must collaborate with the civilian population in community policing, international best practices for intelligence gathering, respect for human dignity, rules of law, code of conduct for enforcement officials, corruption acts, principles on the use fire arms, force and torture by the law enforcement agents.
Others include principles of confidentiality on issues of victims or complainants as well as challenges, interventions as well as strategies to communicate, change negative stereotypes from the public against the Nigeria Police Force..
He further deliberated on the need for the state security to adopt new strategy in handling and managing civil relations and maintaining professionalism in the discharge of their duties. The facilitator, further, highlighted international and regional human rights instruments for state security actors’ operations and conducts.
Dr. Sharafa added that the state security agents must also be conversant with the international convention for protection of persons from enforced disappearance, detention, arrest, among others.
Similarly, Barrister Umar Aliyu Enani of the State Investigation/Intelligence Bureau (SIB) Borno State Police Comamnd, tutored the participants on criminal justice laws and criminal laws, jurisdiction, guarantee access to information and Police Act 2020 on promotion and protection of fundamental human rights.
According to him, state security officials must be careful and intelligent in handling criminal and juvenile matters and other cases relating to child’s trauma, captivity, Girl Child Act, African Charter of Human and People’s Rights and African Charter of Rights, welfare of the child and psychosocial therapy, amongst others.
