The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered a streamlining of all police investigative processes to prevent duplication of investigation that truncates criminal justice delivery.
According to a statement Tuesday, by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the move was aimed at strengthening the criminal justice system and standardizing investigation processes in the Nigeria Police Force.
TheFact Daily gathers that duplication of investigation processes within the operations of the Force was occasioned by indiscriminate petitions and transfer of cases initiated by individuals and groups who have been indicted in initial investigations. This duplicity frustrates diligent investigation processes and thwarts criminal justice delivery.
The IGP gave the directives while reviewing and dealing with files and cases in response to complaints on indiscriminate transfers of cases from Zonal/State Commands and other investigative units of the Force, by operatives of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Force Intelligence Bureau, and other Force Headquarters Based Investigation outfits, under the guise of re-investigation at the prompting of indicted parties.
He stressed that the situation has often given rise to parallel investigations by multiple units leading to conflicting arrests of parties, and different outcomes even when such matters have been conclusively investigated and charged to court.
The IGP, therefore, warned that transfer or taking over of cases from Commands/Formations to FHQ-based outfits must only be carried out upon approval of a written petition to the IGP which will serve as authority for any such action.
“He has similarly warned that officers found culpable of colluding with lawyers of, or indicted parties to abuse police investigative process will be sanctioned accordingly”, the statement said.
