From Fred Itua, Abuja
A senior legal practitioner in Abuja, Amobi Nzelu, popularly known as Apo – Six lawyer, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in what he described as commercialisation of the lawful duties, activities and services of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) by the police, to those who can afford their bills, contrary to the laws that established the Force.
The lawyer made the appeal in a petition he sent to President Buhari recently and copied to the Minister of Justice and Attorney – General of the Federation (AGF), the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs and made available to newsmen.
In the letter, the senior lawyer said by a circular with the reference Number, AV: 4,000/POSSAP/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/55, dated 21st July, 2022, companies, VIPs banks, among others were informed and notified of the take – off of Police Specialized services Automation Project (POSSAP) by the NPF.
Raising the alarm on its danger and proving his point, Nzelu said that particularly, Section 214(1) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), provides that there shall be a police force for Nigeria which shall be known as the NPF and subject to the provisions of the section, no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof. He therefore added that it was pursuant to the section of the constitution, that the Police Act was enacted, which, accordung to him circumscribed the functions of the NPF.
Section 4 of the Police Act, according to him, empowers the police to prevent and detect crime, apprehend offenders, preserve law and order protect lives and properties of citizens, enforce laws and regulations with which they are directly charged and perform military duties as assigned to them inside or outside Nigeria.
Nzelu noted with concern that there is no place in the said section 4 of the Police Act donated powers to the NPF to act as a commercial entity or money – making organisation.
Warning that embarking on such venture would be ultra vires the statutory functions assigned to the NOF by the Act, the Apo Six lawyer therefore said since the creation of POSSAP is neither in any of sections of the Police Act nor in the 1999 Constitution of the Federation (as amended) that donated powers to the NPF, its creation or introduction is a nullity.
He informed that POSSAP was set up to collect monies for police orderly, VIP escort and guard, special escort, company and private infrastructures/facility guard, events security, who needed the services of NPF. Informing that POSSAP collects N120,000 per month for each police officer sent to perform such function, N50,000 goes to NPF and the remaining N70,000 goes to untidentified purposes.
He said mathematically, if about 50,000 officers were sent to the illegal duty in Nigeria, and if about N60 billion is realised, N2.5 billion would go to the NPF and the remaining N3.5 billion goes to those behind POSSAP.
Requesting from Mr President that: POSSAP be stopped within seven days of the receipt of the letter and that all monies collected so far be accounted for and remitted to the single treasury account of the federation, Nzelu said if his request isn’t heeded, he will be heading to court.
Still kicking against the move, he however noted that if POSSAP isn’t stopped, the lawful duties of the police would be for those who could afford them, to the detriment of the poor masses.