IGP Ehindero, Reform Your Police Force

New York, October 2, 2006—Following recent complaints by the Nigerian Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Sunday Ehindero that his Commissioners of Police (CP) and Divisional Police Officers (DPO) are not following his orders, Africans In America, Inc. wish to state the following:

The office of Inspector General is the topmost in the hierarchy and chain of command in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) national wide, and the states and local governments do not have their own police force in Nigeria. IGP commands and manages the entire police force in the federation.

The Inspector General of Police is the nation’s no. 1 law enforcement officer in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Inspector General of Police is awfully a very powerful office in the nation.

The Inspector General of Police could conceptualize, initiate/introduce, implement policies that impact on law and order in the daily life of estimated at over 170 million Nigerians at home and abroad.

He has the powers in his hand that when properly applied could be part of the solution to Nigeria’s problems or when misapplied or not applied at all could be part of the problems.

As concerned corporate member of the small global village, which the wide world has recently become, Africans In America, Inc. had forwarded few complaints of corruption, cover-ups and mishandling of cases directly to the office of Nigeria Inspector General of Police with no response.

We are concerned that Inspector General knows that his subordinates are not disciplined and following his orders and still he is incapable of doing something about it. We are concerned about the kind of message this is sending to the world community about Nigeria Police Force under his watch. There is no doubt the Inspector General is crying out for help; imagine the fate of the voiceless tormented Nigerian masses.

Nigeria Police Force is one of the oldest institutions in Nigeria and may be begging for aggressive reform.

Mr. Inspector General, Sunday Ehindero, please use your constitutional powers to reform the Nigeria Police Force. Free the tormented people of Nigeria, do it for patriotism, do it now.

Mr. Inspector General, the world expects a far-reaching reform under your watch. Nigeria, the world is watching.