Dimeji Bankole Confronts Police IG

In what was a reversal of roles, the speaker of the House of Representatives interrogated the inspector general of police, Mike Okiro over the unlawful parading and detention of suspects.

The speaker took the police chief up during a public hearing on a bill to amend the police act.

The speaker told the inspector general that the parading of suspects amounts to condemning them even before they have a chance to defend themselves in the court of law.

The meeting was at the instance of the House of Representatives committee on justice.
It was a public hearing on the proposed amendment of the police act, the legal practitioners act and the legal aid act.

Surprisingly, the event took another dimension. As the inspector general of the Nigeria police force, mike Okiro, was put on the hot seat by the speaker of the house, Dimeji Bankole.

The two men also disagreed on the ability of the police to carry out prosecution. The president of the bar association accused the police of persecuting rather than prosecuting.

The police chief was, however, of the opinion that the police is more useful in criminal prosecution.

Views like these as well as others that will be made are expected to contribute to the eventual amendment of the bills.