The Inspector-General of Police (IG), Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered streamlining of all police investigative processes to prevent duplication of investigation.
The order is contained in a statement issued by CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force PPRO, e-mailed to The NewsZenith on Friday.
The Police authorities discovered that investigations are duplicated via indiscriminate petitions and transfer of cases initiated by individuals and groups.
According to Adejobi, the IG’s order is to strengthen the criminal justice system.
It would also standardise investigation processes in the Nigeria Police Force.
Initial investigations may have indicted such individuals and groups in a way to frustrate the diligent investigation processes and truncated criminal justice delivery.
Baba gave the directives while reviewing and dealing with files/cases in response to complaints on indiscriminate transfers of cases from Zonal/State Commands and other investigative units of the Force.
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Often, operatives of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Force Intelligence Bureau and other Force Headquarters-Based Investigation outfits do transfer cases.
They do this under the guise of re-investigation at the prompting of indicted parties.
The IG stressed that the situation has often given rise to parallel investigations by multiple units.
Such parallel investigations, many times, lead to conflicting arrests of parties.
It also results in different outcomes, even after the concluding investigation of such matters and taken to court.
Baba, therefore, warned that transfer or taking over of cases from Commands/Formations to FHQ-based outfits must only be sequel to IG’s approval of a written petition.
Such approval will serve as authority for any such action.
The IG equally appeals to the general public to be on the same page with the Police leadership.
This, he said is necessary to sanitise the process and strengthen our criminal justice system.
He also warned of impending sanction against officers found colluding with lawyers to abuse the police investigative process.
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