Police, NDLEA under investigation over indiscriminate arrest, prison congestion

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) are being investigated by a panel for their alleged role in congested custodial facilities across the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the panel investigating the alleged corruption and other violations in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) had been told that the Police and the NDLEA contributed to prison congestion.

Briefing the media at the ongoing second public hearing, the panel's secretary, Dr Uju Agomoh, explained that the NPF faced accusations of detaining individuals beyond the constitutional limit without trial.

Agomoh said that the Police were also accused of arresting suspects without sufficient evidence and holding individuals without proper investigation.

About the police, she said, “Section 43 of the NCoS Act was also brought to attention as it speaks to the notion of restorative justice applicable at the pre-trial stage.

“If the police are open to collaborating with the NCoS in relation to this, we can reflect on the recommendation of the panel,“ she said.

She, however, said that there was a need for increased partnership between the NDLEA and the NCoS.

This, he said, should be in terms of ensuring that issues about treatment and rehabilitation of those who have drug issues and problems in correctional services were also being addressed.

The panel secretary requested from the NDLEA all of the lists that included all the places of detention and the persons detained there.

“We have also requested from the police an indication of the designated capacities of those facilities, the total number of lockups, and the disaggregation in terms of gender, age, and charges, if possible,” she said.

Responding, a police representative, Joshua Pandegh, said measures were being implemented to ensure that every police station had a lawyer assigned to assist with prosecutions.

Speaking for the NDLEA, Obiageli Iwuchukwu, Deputy Director of Prosecution and Legal Service, said the NDLEA was proposing plea bargaining.

She said this would be a potential solution to alleviate congestion in the country’s custodial facilities and provide the panel with information about their detention centres.

Earlier, the panel Chair, Dr Magdalene Ajani, pressed for clarification on who managed transfers and requested reports on allegations of fake certificates within the service, which were part of complaints brought before the panel.

NAN reports that the panel requested detailed information about the number of police detention centres and detainees nationwide, emphasising the need for improved documentation and transparency.