In a renewed drive for human rights protection, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hashimu Argungu (retired), is calling for greater respect for citizens’ rights in Nigeria and heightened protection for crime victims.
In a recent visit to the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) headquarters in Abuja, DIG Argungu, alongside a PSC delegation, met with NHRC Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, to discuss collaborative efforts in combating human rights abuses across the nation.
Reflecting on his previous experience as a member of the Anti-SARS Panel, DIG Argungu highlighted ongoing concerns such as extra-judicial killings, illegal arrests, unwarranted searches and detentions, and instances of sexual abuse.
While he acknowledged the positive working relationship with the NHRC in past initiatives, he noted, “More efforts are still required of the Human Rights body to cripple human rights abuses in Nigeria.”
DIG Argungu also condemned practices such as the public parading of suspects in chains and the lack of support for crime victims. He urged a balanced justice approach, asserting, “Attention should also be given to victims of crime and not only the suspects.”
According to him, outdated laws within the Nigerian legal framework need urgent reform to enhance justice and human rights protections.
In a significant move towards collaborative reform, DIG Argungu announced that the PSC would now involve the NHRC in its recruitment processes.
Dr. Ojukwu, in his response, introduced the PSC delegation to the NHRC’s plans to build a digital platform for managing human rights cases—a platform to be integrated with the PSC to strengthen inter-agency efforts against human rights abuses.
“The nation cannot continue to watch the abuse of the human rights of citizens,” Dr. Ojukwu remarked, adding, “With DIG Argungu as Chairman of the PSC, most of the unresolved cases would be brought to conclusion.”
