The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, has warned police officers against treating persons with disabilities as second-class citizens, insisting that they enjoy the same constitutional rights as other Nigerians.
Ojajuni said disability does not strip anyone of their fundamental rights, stressing that police officers must treat persons with disabilities with dignity, respect and without discrimination.
The police commissioner made the remarks on Wednesday when he received members of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Ogun State Chapter, during a courtesy visit to the Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the delegation was led by the association’s state chairman, Awobona Ayodele, alongside executive members and representatives of different disability clusters.
During the meeting, Ayodele called for a strategic partnership between the association and the police to address the challenges persons with disabilities face when interacting with law enforcement officers.
He specifically advocated specialised training and sensitisation programmes to equip police personnel with the knowledge and skills required to identify, communicate with and appropriately handle persons with disabilities.
The JONAPWD chairman also pledged the association’s continued cooperation with the police in promoting the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.
Responding, Ojajuni assured the delegation that the Command would organise continuous sensitisation and retraining programmes for officers to improve their understanding of disability-related issues and ensure more professional conduct when dealing with persons with disabilities.
He said the Command recognised the constitutional rights of every Nigerian, irrespective of physical or other disabilities, adding that its operations would remain guided by the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and international human rights standards.
The commissioner also pledged the Command’s support for JONAPWD, assuring the association that the police would continue to protect the security, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities across Ogun State.
JONAPWD, established in 1992, is the umbrella organisation representing persons with disabilities in Nigeria and advocates their rights, welfare and social inclusion.
