NOPRIN Names Lagos The Headquaters Of ‘Death Squads’

A non-governmental organisation, Network for Police Reform in Nigeria, NOPRIN, has said 38 percent of extra-judicial killings recorded between January 2019 and January 2020 happened in Lagos State.

National Coordinator of NOPRIN, Ikule Emmanuel, made this know at a briefing in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, lamenting that extra-judicial killings have risen exponentially because of “death squads”.

He also listed private armies, criminal gangs and paramilitary forces operating outside the chain of command as culprits.

According to Ikule, “from January 2019 to January 2020, we were able to document and follow up about 26 cases of extra-judicial killings in Nigeria, with Lagos State accounting for 38 per cent.”

He stressed that members of such groups, who have perpetrated extrajudicial executions, should be brought to justice.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari, Inspector-General of Police, and the Chief of Defence Staff to take appropriate steps towards curbing the killings perpetrated by men of the force.

He also noted that as law enforcement officers, they are supposed to promote peace, protect lives and properties and respect the rule of law.