The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (Rtd), has said the old policing laws in the country appeared to be uncertain and obsolete and becoming harder to keep up with modern technology.
He, therefore, called on federal and state governments to urgently review the current passive criminal justice systems at their various levels.
Argungu said this while delivering a keynote address at the Policing Executive Forum (PEF), organised by the CLEEN Foundation with the theme “Policing and Efficient Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Regime in Nigeria.”
According to him, “It is a notorious fact that conventional security measures, information, and intelligence gathering are already obsolete and ineffective in today’s digital world. The old regulations appear to be uncertain and obsolete, and it is becoming harder for regulations to keep up with technology.
“Security has taken on a new dimension in the 21st century, in an era of globalisation, computerisation, and digitalisation. Security challenges and threats are no longer primarily coming from conventional metaphors, and the battleground no longer automatically evokes the sounds of guns, but instead engages in decidedly non-metaphoric attacks in cyberspace. Wars in the 21st century are fought not just on the battlefield but also in the world’s computer and communication systems.
“Terrorist groups, stateless people, and international criminal organisations are the key players in the new warfare (cyberwar). The main message is that the information revolution has fundamentally changed the nature of almost everything in the human sphere.”
Welcoming participants to the event, the Acting Executive Director of the CLEEN Foundation, Peter Maduoma, stated that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and corresponding state laws were enacted to promote the efficient management of criminal justice institutions, protect the rights and interests of suspects and victims, and ensure speedy dispensation of justice in Nigeria.
Maduoma noted that policing, being the first point of contact within the criminal justice chain, played a pivotal role in determining the effectiveness of this regime.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, called for effective collaboration amongst security agencies, government institutions, and other critical stakeholders in the Administration of Criminal Justice ecosystem.
Represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone 7, Abuja, Victor Olaiya, he recalled his experience as Commissioner of Police in the Kwara State Command, where his close collaboration with the prison authority foiled a planned jailbreak after the authority noticed a drone hovering over the prison facility.
The Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, represented by a top agent, said the forum was of great importance to the security community.
He applauded the aims and objectives of the CLEEN Foundation, which were to promote public safety, security, and access to justice.
He also added that the partnership between the police and the CLEEN Foundation, which birthed the forum, was also highly commendable.