What Are Lawyers Doing To Check Excesses Of Nigerian Police? By Umar Sa’ad Hassan

Segun Awosanya more popularly known as ‘Segalink’ is a social
media personality that has over time come to be known as the
‘official’ liaison between the police and the common man. In
campaigning rigourously against the inhuman treatment meted out to
helpless Nigerians by the very police force supposed to be
protecting them,he has mobilized Nigerians both on social media and
off it to protest against the Nigerian police.

The Police in an expected bid to salvage its image, had a
sit-down with Sega and his fellow gladiators where it blamed the
‘few bad eggs’ in the force for the ill-treatment of Nigerians.As
an outcome,police helplines were made public via which oppressed
persons could report incidents of extortion,brutality and
victimization.
As of today,Segalink is beseiged daily by numerous calls for help
on his twitter page and has resolved countless cases of extortion
or wrongful arrest by reaching out directly to the Police.

Segun Awosanya is not a lawyer but he has stuck his neck out for
justice and due process more than any lawyer in Nigeria.

It is shameful that the man has devoted massive time and money
to fighting a grave societal ill which threatens the very
foundation upon which our democracy stands while the Nigerian Bar
Association which has “promotion and protection of the principles
of the rule of law and respect for enforcement of fundamental
rights, human rights and people’s rights” as one of its foremost
objectives has done nothing other than ‘condemn and criticize’
occasionally.In most cases,only when one of its members falls
victim.

If oppression of Nigerians by members of the police force is not
enough to spur Nigerian lawyers into action then i wonder what
would.

As it is,the integrity of the legal profession in Nigeria is in
shambles.Our anti-graft agencies claim unrefutedly,that the Chief
Justice of Nigeria had about a billion naira stashed in his bank
accounts at some point and the bar President is being tried for
corruption by the EFCC.

The NBA’s response was to declare the EFCC a ‘third party’ with
no ‘locus standi’ in a matter where he is alleged to have received
illegal money instead of urging him in the interest of transparency
and accountability to clear his name under the exception to
attorney-client privilege in the Rules of Professional Conduct.

It was agonizing to watch the leaders of the bar assemble to
interprete the law in a way even a first year student wouldn’t.Much
good isn’t expected of the NBA.But thankfully,the NBA never was and
never will be a one,two or three man show.It is a body of Nigerian
lawyers and as such,we owe it to ourselves and the society at large
to ensure that the excesses of Nigerian police officers are
checked.

The many calls for police reform hasn’t yielded the desired
result and it behoves on us to chart a new course.One in which the
NBA will play a very critical role.About 90% of the videos of
police men infringing on the rights of helpless Nigerians emanate
from Lagos state and the 5 branches of the NBA there should as a
matter of paramount importance,set up committees to institute pro
bono actions against the police on behalf of victims.Lawyers cannot
be silent while the issue of incessant human rights abuse is
front-burner.

Considering the problems encountered in enforcing monetary
judgements against the police particularly ones posed by the
current situation where all security agencies have their money in
the Treasury Single Account and Section 84 of the Sheriff and Civil
Processes Act which stipulates that the AGF must approve judgement
sums before they are paid, these cases are better prosecuted by the
NBA as a unit.

Why?.Because there is a much better chance of attracting the
attention of the public to a refusal to comply via the media and
protests.No sensible government would want the citizenry revolting
against it for promoting oppression by law enforcement agents.

The best way to make the police put its house in order is to
make it start to lose money to its victims or at the very
least,know its excesses have a direct effect on public perception
on government as a whole.

The National NBA in addition to urging all branches across the
federation to set up pro bono committees for victims of human
rights abuses by law enforcement agents,must also ensure it has a
sit-down with the Attorney-General of the Federation regarding
enforcement of judgement sums.

Nigerian lawyers cannot afford to sit and watch lethargically
while the whole country bemoans the excesses of the police. We must
act now.

Umar Sa’ad Hassan is a lawyer based in Kano; Twitter:@Alaye_100;
Email:uhassan077@gmail.com