The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase on Thursday in Benin, warned operatives of the Edo State Police Command to avoid the practice of detaining people indefinitely to enable them shop for evidence to incriminate them.
He also warned operatives of the Force against interfering in civil offences relating to land matters and the criminalisation of such matters.
Arase gave the warning while addressing officers and men of the Command during an official visit to the state.
The IGP who described himself as a strong advocate of intelligence-led policing as well as human rights approach to policing, charged the officers to adhere strictly to the tenets of human rights, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
“I don’t expect most of you to bring people into our facility and detain them indefinitely while you are shopping for evidence. You must be able to have evidence before you bring them into our facility.
“You cannot abridge the fundamental rights of Nigerians; you cannot treat them as if they are people who have been conquered. You must respect these rights,” he said.
