Inspector-General of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba, has directed all police officers across the country to sustain and uphold the rights of Nigerians and non-Nigerians resident in the country.

He gave the directive via a statement in commemoration of the International Human Rights Day 2014.

IGP Abba said in the statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, Ag. CP Emmanuel C. S. Ojukwu, that a poignant example of his administration’s commitment to uphold human rights is the recent launch of the Nigeria Police Force Human Rights Practice Manual.

He said that “the well-thought-out document was produced with support from Altus Global Alliance, Department of Foreign International Development (DFID), Cleen Foundation, Justice for All Nigeria (J4A) and the Embassy of Switzerland, Abuja.”

“The Human Rights Practice Manual is a legacy of IGP Abba-led Police Management Team and bears eternal testimony to the Force’s unflinching resolve to expose all personnel of the Nigeria Police Force to practical and theoretical aspects of Human Rights based approaches to policing in conformity with global best practices,” Ojukwu said in the statement issued this afternoon in Abuja.

According to him, “Also, a milestone follow-up to the launch of the Human Rights Manual is the creation of a Human Rights Desk to be manned by Officers in all the formations of the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Desk Officers are tasked with ensuring that rights of suspects are protected and cared for, giving fillip to IGP Abba’s commitment to walk the talk in observance of the Human Rights of all Nigerians irrespective of class, creed and tongue.

“These innovations of IGP Abba, cited above, conform to this year’s Human Rights Day slogan, Human Rights 365, which states that every day is a Human Rights Day and upholds the fundamental proposition in the Human Rights Declaration that all humans, everywhere at all times are entitled to the full range of human rights.

“Consequently, the Police High Command is avowedly resolved to not only protect Human Rights but also do all that is humanly possible within the confines of established constitutional means, to ensure these rights remain inviolable as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and in conformity with the ECOWAS, AU and the United Nations Declarations on Human Rights.”

•Photo shows IGP Abba.

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