The Nigerian Police Force is encouraging citizens to utilize its Complaint Response Unit at the Force Headquarters to report any misconduct by its officers and men.
The Head of the unit, CSP El-Musta Sani, made this appeal at a Summit in Abuja organized by the Public Complaints Commission in collaboration with the Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice.
Sani highlighted that the unit, established in 2015, is dedicated to addressing complaints against police officers from the public.
He mentioned that, as of the first quarter of 2024, the unit had received 459 complaints from the public regarding officers and men, primarily through its social media platforms.
He also noted that 265 cases have been resolved, while 195 are still under investigation by the police.
Sani said, “It takes the Unit 21 days to receive and conclude investigations on all complaints”.
He expressed concern that members of the public were unaware of the platforms available for lodging their complaints.
“The major problem is that the institutions are there, but Nigerians do not know their functions.
“We receive complaints through WhatsApp, Twitter handles, phone calls, and walk-in petitions.
“And the Unit is directly responsible to the Office of the Inspector General of Police through the Public Relation Officer,” he said.
Sani assured that more efforts would be made to raise awareness and enlighten the public about the available channels to lodge complaints for proper handling.
Remarking, the Chief Commissioner of PCC, Mr. Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf, emphasized the importance of strengthening institutions to combat administrative injustice and corruption.
He highlighted that a well-developed institution is crucial for good governance, stating that the summit aimed to enhance service delivery and ensure that everyone has the right to complain and raise issues.
“The purpose of this Summit, which is to foster collaboration between the Public Complaints Commission and other organisations, is quite timely and key to the understanding of the mandate of the Commission.
“The PCC, known as the Nigerian version of the Ombudsman, was established to investigate complaints regarding administrative actions,” he said.
The Director of Administration at the Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice, Ms. Sandra Benson, stated that the Foundation and PCC were diligently working to ensure justice for those who had faced injustices over the years.
Benson stressed the importance of collective action to address these issues, noting that it was crucial to align voices with actions for good governance.
She emphasized the significance of addressing citizens’ complaints regarding administrative actions and called for immediate responses, sensitization of workers on grievance channels, and cooperation to ensure swift justice.
“The Summit marks the beginning of important engagements with stakeholders and the PCC, aiming to restore trust in the system and liberate workers from bad leadership.
The Chief Executive Officer of Jewel Social Empowerment Initiative, Maurice Okoye, also addressed the summit, highlighting the critical need for consequence management in addressing issues in Nigeria.
He pointed out that the absence of consequence management was a major challenge, leading to a lack of accountability among government agency heads.
Okoye also noted that many people were reluctant to seek justice due to a lack of confidence in the system. He shared an example of a friend who chose not to pursue justice after a robbery due to high costs and skepticism about the outcome.
He called for a restoration of public confidence in the justice system and emphasized the importance of accountability and responsibility among leaders.
