The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is due for a revamp and the president can start this by declaring a state of emergency in the Force. This was the position of pro-democracy and non-governmental organization, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA). The group, speaking on Monday, said the brazen and dastardly robbery that took place in Offa over the weekend show how ineffectual the police force has become.
The armed robbers had killed several police officers and civilians on a rampage during the robbery of five banks. This is contained in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and national media affairs director, Miss Zainab Yusuf. The group said, "The Presidency and the National Assembly should declare a national policing state of emergency so the serious challenges inhibiting effective and efficient policing practices in Nigeria are realistically addressed.”
"The Rights group has criticized the “business-as-usual reaction of the political class and the hierarchy of the nation’s police to this dastardly crime against humanity and has called on the Nigerian state to view the incident as signposting the fact that police operatives are now endangered species due to lack of proactive leadership and material resources to institutionalize effective policing mechanism.
"This is not the first time such an audacious attacks have been successfully launched against the operatives and institution of the Nigeria Police force and reminded Nigerians that in most parts of North East of Nigeria the police operations were severely limited and made impossible for many years by the robust attacks on police formations coordinated and executed by armed Boko Haram terrorists.” Huriwa said the arms of government have failed to appreciate the significant empirical reality of the collapsed nature of the nation’s policing institution.
The human right body said the “President, the leadership of the National Assembly and the hierarchy of the police service commission (PSC) have failed to appreciate the significant empirical reality of the collapsed nature of the nation’s policing institution even as the Rights group has carpeted these strata of political leaders for adopting non-professional measures to stem the tides of failed policing standards in Nigeria.”
They called for the removal of Inspector General of Police Idris Ibrahim who they said is inefficient. In addition, the executive and legislature were urged to pass and approve amendments to the 1999 constitution, especially the clause that has to with the creation of state police.