By Mandy Willy
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to fully implement Police Force Order 20 and the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDSS) to promote accountability, transparency and speedy justice for suspects.
Justice Amadi made the call during a one-day capacity-building programme on the strategic implementation of the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme in Rivers State. The training, themed “Implementation of Police Force Order 20: Strengthening Access to Justice, Protection and Promotion of Rights of Suspects and Detainees,” was organised by the Federal Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Port Harcourt on Monday.
The Chief Judge said the scheme would improve access to justice, curb unlawful detention and help decongest correctional facilities.
He noted that the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme, anchored on the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2015, was designed to strengthen the integrity of criminal investigations while safeguarding the constitutional rights of suspects.
According to him, the criminal justice system should be judged by how it protects the vulnerable, stressing that no citizen should suffer injustice because of a lack of legal representation.
Justice Amadi lamented that provisions of the ACJL requiring suspects’ statements to be recorded electronically and in the presence of legal practitioners or other authorised persons had largely been neglected by investigating officers.
He emphasised that modern criminal justice demands voluntary, credible and lawfully recorded confessional statements rather than confessions obtained through coercion.
The Chief Judge described the presence of duty solicitors at police stations as a practical mechanism for protecting the rights of suspects, improving the quality of investigations, reducing procedural errors and strengthening public confidence in the justice system.
He urged police officers, magistrates, legal practitioners and other stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the initiative through sustained collaboration and regular monitoring.
Representing the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, CSP Ayodeji Johnson assured participants that the command was committed to implementing the provisions of Police Force Order 20.
He described the initiative as a welcome partnership that would improve access to justice for vulnerable persons and pledged the cooperation of officers across police divisions and area commands in the state.
Johnson said the command remained committed to respecting citizens’ rights while ensuring justice was served without unnecessary delays.
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Vivian Tobechukwu described the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme as a practical reform that brings legal aid directly to police stations, ensuring suspects receive legal advice and representation at the earliest stage of the criminal justice process.
She said the initiative was essential in preventing unlawful detention, protecting fundamental human rights and improving the integrity of criminal justice processes.
According to her, the programme forms part of UNDP’s broader support for police reform and accountability, implemented with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office. She disclosed that the initiative, which began in Edo State in 2020, has now expanded to 16 states across Nigeria.
Tobechukwu commended the Rivers State Government for partnering with UNDP and hosting its office in Port Harcourt, describing the collaboration as a demonstration of shared commitment to justice sector reforms.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) and Chief Magistrate, Ilanye Brown, identified strict compliance with key provisions of the ACJL as critical to the success of the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme.
Presenting a paper titled “Promoting Compliance with Key Provisions of the ACJL: The Roles and Responsibilities of Magistrates and Duty Solicitors in Strengthening Access to Criminal Justice,” Brown highlighted lawful arrest, humane treatment of suspects, proper documentation of arrests, recording of suspects’ statements, police bail, continued detention procedures and judicial oversight as essential safeguards.
She noted that faithful implementation of these provisions would significantly reduce procedural violations, unlawful detention and congestion in correctional facilities while improving public confidence in the administration of criminal justice.
