A Nigeria-based human rights lawyer, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has described the immediate reforms introduced within the Nigeria Police Force by the new Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, as a demonstration of his preparedness and resolve to change the system.
Ejiofor made this known in a statement titled “Midweek Musings: Tiger Base, Owerri, The Eye of the Storm: Restructuring Tactical Units Across the State, Among Other Reforms, as a Transformative Tempest Unleashed by IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, Heralding the Long-Awaited Rebirth of the Nigeria Police Force.,”
According to him, in stark contrast to the past, the present leadership under IGP Disu has shown a commendable immediacy of action.
He said that within a remarkably short span, reforms have been initiated that far exceed public expectations.
The human rights lawyer noted that the narrative surrounding notorious formations, including Tiger Base, Owerri, and others of similar ill repute, is decisively shifting, as they are now being restructured.
He added that it would seem that, at long last, someone in authority is not merely hearing, but truly listening.
“One is tempted to ponder: should this trajectory be sustained, unimpeded by the familiar distractions of political interference, even for a year, the Nigeria Police Force may well witness a complete and remarkable restoration of its public image.
“What the Inspector-General requires at this critical juncture is not cynicism, but constructive encouragement and unwavering public support. Nigerians must rally behind this renewed vision, confident that genuine reform, though long delayed, is not beyond reach,” he said.
Ejiofor further stated that there has long persisted a widely held conviction, particularly among members of the public, that confidence in the Nigeria Police Force has not merely waned but has been profoundly eroded.
He observed that it is not surprising that many have maintained that, while the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force possesses the latent capacity to transform its battered image, from that of a notoriously compromised institution into a truly dignified and professional outfit, what had been lacking was the political will to wield the proverbial sledgehammer of reform.
“Yet, in what may well be described as a reformatory tsunami, the sweeping and far-reaching institutional changes currently being championed by the IGP signal a most refreshing departure. Evidently, he is no accidental occupant of office; rather, he appears to have assumed this role with clarity of purpose, strategic foresight, and commendable resolve.
“Who would have thought that those formations within the policing architecture, notorious for the infliction of grave harm, systemic abuse, and egregious violations of citizens’ fundamental rights, would be restructured with such decisiveness? These were Places where innocent citizens were cut down without accountability, as though human life bore no greater value than that of common fowl.
“Today, we can say that the narrative is shifting. In a clear instance, the notorious groups, including Tiger Base, Owerri, and others known for such infamous operations, are being restructured. It appears that the cries of the masses have suddenly become audible to the powers that be.
“Such episodes can only be described as emblematic of gross institutional complacency, if not outright recklessness, deserving of rigorous interrogation,” he said.
The human rights lawyer noted that what the Inspector-General requires at this critical juncture is constructive encouragement and unwavering public support, urging Nigerians to “rally behind this renewed vision, confident that genuine reform, though long delayed, is not beyond reach.
