The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to implement the white paper set to be produced from the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that Investigated Human Rights Abuses, Police Brutality and Extrajudicial Killings by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state.
According to a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Kelvin Ebiri, Wike spoke while receiving the report submitted to him by the chairman of the commission, Justice Chukwunenye Uriri (rtd) at Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday.
Wike said the State government had done its bit by setting up the commission and would also produce the White Paper at the next meeting of the State Executive Council.
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The governor challenged the Inspector General of Police (IG) and the new Commissioner of Police (CP) to implement the white paper as a proof that the Federal Government was serious about ending such police brutality in the country.
“The truth of the matter is I am not sure the present Inspector General (IG) is out to fight insecurity. Now, he has appointed a new Police Commissioner for political patronage.
“If at the end of the day, we come out with the White Paper and the Attorney General sends it to the police to implement or to prosecute as the case maybe, will it be implemented?
“That is why I am challenging the IG and the new CP to make sure that they justify that the Federal Government is serious about telling states to set up Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the brutality of the police and the security agencies,” Wike said.
Presenting the report, Justice Uriri was quoted to have said that the commission received 190 petitions, struck out 82 for lack of due diligence or jurisdiction and eventually considered 108 of them.
He further stated that the figure depicted the highest level of recklessness, abuse of law and order in the country.