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Assessing The Merits Of Police Reformation In Improving National Security
[A CASE STUDY OF THE 2020 ENDSARS PROTEST]
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The right to freedom of expression is closely linked to the right to
freedom of assembly and the right to protest. Assemblies that represent a
deliberate and temporary gathering of a group of people in a private or
public space for a specific purpose (UNHRCR, 2012) play a key role in
mobilizing the population and shaping complaints and aspirations.
"(UNHRCR, 2011) At the same time, the expression of individual and
collective opinion is one of the goals of all protests. (UNHRCR, 2012).
The right to protest is also closely linked to human rights activities,
including the recognition, protection or exercise of rights. Protests in
various countries in the region are used for specific acts of violence,
eviction, labor problems or other violations of rights, both as a means
of raising the threshold for guaranteeing fundamental rights at the
national level and as a means of integrating many rights into the
ongoing development of international human rights law. The protest is
also closely linked to the promotion and protection of democracy, with
the Court of America recognizing that, in protesting against the
collapse of the democratic system, "not only must the rule of law be
exercised but the duty to defend democracy must be respected."
According
to UNHRCR (2012), protest is a form of individual or collective action
aimed at expressing ideas, views or values of dissent, opposition,
denunciation or justification. These include the expression of opinions,
views or political, social or cultural perspectives; expressing support
or criticism of a group, party or government; respond to policy or
condemn a public issue; strengthening the identity or awareness of the
group's situation regarding discrimination and social isolation.
Today's
Internet is an important communication tool that people can connect to
and connect to in an adaptive, fast and efficient way. It is seen as a
tool with unique opportunities to exercise freedom of expression. The
new forces offered by the Internet include the ability to connect and
unite people acquired in the digital age, which contributes to the
realization and full realization of other civil, political, economic,
social and cultural rights. In the age of digital technology, meetings
and clubs can be organized and organized with a short message at a low
price without notice. The Internet remains an important tool for
monitoring and reporting human rights violations at demonstrations and
meetings.
The Internet can be viewed and analyzed as an
organizational tool or platform for protest (UNHRCR, 2013). In practice,
it serves as a means of disseminating, convening and publishing
physical meetings and gatherings in a particular public place (for
example, through social networks, blogs or forums), thus expanding the
boundaries of participation. The Internet provides an opportunity to
organize an online protest, create a common room for negotiations,
reduce distances and time, and simplify formalities and agendas (INDH,
2013). Both attitudes should be protected and promoted to the extent
that they contribute to the full realization of human rights (INDH,
2013).
1.2 Statement of the problem
Over the years in
Nigeria, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have earned an ill reputation
and lost so much goodwill. This is due to some members of the force
whose open and direct embrace for bribery, truth manipulation, abuse,
public assault and what we could summarily describe as forceful
corruption. This apron of negativity had so become acceptable in the
force that one could hardly hear of the word police without first
associating it with the scriptural devil before the inquiry to recall
the vision of the institution. More visibly since 2015, there has been
an upsurge of brutality, assault and killings of young Nigeria citizens
from the members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) especially from the
police unit called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). This unit has won
national recognition for assault, maiming and killings of Nigeria
citizens. This act is against the vision of the unit. The SARS unit of
the Nigeria Police Force was set up as a response to arm robberies,
kidnappings and other heinous armed related crimes in Nigeria. This
vision had kicked off successfully and the unit has been of great usage
until 2015 when reports concerning their negligence of duty
(irresponsible behaviour like mass arrest, unwarranted individual
arrest, kidnapping of private citizens, defrauding of citizens,
participation in arm robberies and public assault of individuals),
sky-rocketed. Their excesses brought despair to homes as they continue
to maim innocent lives based on the assumption of individual’s
criminality and not proper investigation. The SARS became a tool of
terror, replacing the Force vision of protecting lives and properties,
they reversed to destroying lives and properties. This situation however
is mostly obtainable in the southern (south-east, south-west) part of
Nigeria and less operated in the northern part of Nigeria. A situation
misunderstood by the south region as a political and regional agenda.
The SARS operatives therefore lost public trust and hence in October
2020, the youths of Nigeria took to the streets to protest against the
brutality and injustice of the SARS. Nigerian youths all over the major
cities of Nigeria (Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Kano Illorin, Aba, et)
called for the dissolve of the SARS unit and the reformation of the
police force.
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