THE Nigerian Police are finally complying with a section of the law that prevents a suspect from being detained in their custody without trial for more than 24 hours.

The Police, while accepting their role under civilian government as civic, maintained that the compliance would enable them check against human rights abuses by members of the force.

Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in Charge of Zone 8, comprising Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti, Tanko Lawal disclosed this yesterday in an address to officers and men of the Kwara State Command at the state headquarters in Ilorin.

Lawal added that the developments remained the policy thrust of the present police leadership, revealing that it was the decision of the Police top hierarchy that to ensure that the provision of the constitution is not breached, no suspect must be detained by the police beyond 24 hours.

The AIG said the leadership dictates that in a situation where it requires longer time to investigate a case the suspect should be taken to court or released on bail and be taken to court later.

Lawal added that in investigations that could be concluded within 24 hours of detention of a suspect the investigating officer should tidy up his case within the hours warning "long detention must be avoided."

The police chief told the officers that not in all instances should there be a need for an arrest of a person for investigation adding that even if the arrest was imperative the person arrested must be treated with respect to his human right "because he is just a suspect and with law still presuming him to be innocent."

Lawal, who disclosed that the policy of the police leadership also include zero tolerance for corruption, added that police-community partnership, intelligent policing and respect for human rights must be paramount just as he warned members of the state command against extortion and any other form of corruption.

He charged the police officers to keep to the directive of the Inspector-General of Police that no roadblock should be mounted on the highways any longer saying, "road block is gone and is gone forever."

The AIG, who expressed delight that in compliance with the directive he did not see any roadblock on his way from Lokoja in Kogi State to Ilorin, Kwara State, said the Police boss has provided Safer Highway vehicles to monitor security on the highways.

The police boss said the issue of security was more than what the police could exclusively handle, noting that the task of maintaining security has become more herculean since communities are growing bigger and called on members of the public to embrace police-community partnership.