The Edo Civil Society Organization, blamed the state police commissioner, for Abutu Yaro’s statement that only petitions written by state law practitioners will be entertained by his office.
The PC held a meeting with some people on Saturday where he made known his position on who has the right to petition him in the state, a position which was backed by a congratulatory statement from the Nigerian Bar Association , Benin branch.
But Acting Technical Executive Council Chairman Austin Enabulele, at a press conference in Benin on Saturday, noted at the civil society organization’s general assembly that Yaro was wrong, adding that a Petitioning, just like writing a letter, is a basic human right that anyone is entitled to.
Citing Section 89(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the President said: “A complaint may be made by the complainant in person, or by a lawyer representing him, or by any person authorized to this effect,” adding that the command has a responsibility to deal with such a petition appropriately.
Enabulele called on the CP to urgently refute the publication made by the Nigerian Bar Association, Benin Branch, praising him for making exclusive petitions to legal practitioners, if he really did not make such a statement. .
“The NBA publication that, COMPOL has decided to accept petitions from attorneys only MUST be refuted, otherwise it will be accepted as the true position of COMPOL and we the people will stand up to such abuses of ‘a public officer in words and deeds to save our society from regression to the state of nature,’ he added.
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