Program and Advocacy Coordinator Network on Police Reform in Nigeria Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma Spoke on how they monitor police activities and protect human right in the society

 

 Police is the agency charged with crime fighting and other law enforcement and policing duties. Our mandate is to promote police reform in Nigeria.

What we do is Research, Monitoring, documenting, and advocacy to promote police accountability and respect for human rights

Police lack the standard training, equipment, professionalism and morale to discharge their social and constitutional functions effectively. And in compliance with international human rights standards to which Nigeria subscribes that’s the first thing you should have done. Okay, we intervene in daily cases of violation of the human rights of citizens by the police and secure the release of persons detained unlawfully without paying any money for 'bail'. We organize public hearings on police abuse and provide opportunity for victim to testify publicly and seek redress through internal control and external accountability mechanisms. We also facilitate public debate and police-community interaction and human rights education etc.

We are also involved in efforts to review the Police Act. We recently concluded zonal public hearings on police reform during which we visited 6 cities across the geo-political zones and the FCT and collated public views on how best to reform the Nigeria police. This is to provide an alternative but complimentary report with purely civil society perspectives on how to reform the police. We are concluding the report and will seek audience with the president to formally present our report and thereafter embark on sustained and vigorous campaigns to push government to implement the recommendations.