ABUJA- The National Human Rights Commission has urged the police authority to sensitise its officers and personnel to the need to respect the rights of suspects.

The Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. Kehinde Ajoni, made the call yesterday in Abuja when she paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Parry Osayande, Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC).

A statement by Mr. Nasiru Ladan, Head,Public Affairs Department, National Human Rights Commission, quoted Ajoni as appealing to the police to avoid such acts as torture and arbitrary arrests.

She said 40 per cent of the complaints received by the commission were against the police.
Ajoni said most of the complaints were based on illegal detention, extra-judicial killings and other abuses.

She said unfortunately, the police had been slow in responding to inquiries from the commission concerning such abuses.

Responding, Osayande assured Ajoni that the Police Service Commission would cooperate with her agency in ensuring respect for human rights in the country.

He said the commission would ensure that any erring police personnel who committed any infraction of people’s human rights would be appropriately sanctioned.