Police partner UN to create Complaint Response Units in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Rivers

The Nigerian Police is collaborating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to establish Complaint Response Units (CRU) in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, and Rivers State in a bid to enhance the quality of service delivery.

This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, on the Force official X handle.

According to the statement, “with the generous support and collaboration of the United Nations,” the CRU, which “has been instrumental in addressing public grievances and concerns related to police misconduct, human rights violations, and other issues in Nigeria, will take a significant step towards decentralizing and expanding” its “presence across the country in line with the provisions of Section 131 of the Police Act 2020.”

The statement reads, “In a concerted effort to enhance the quality of service delivery and extend the reach of the Complaint Response Unit (CRU), the Inspector General of Police, Ag. IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, NPM, Ph.D., is collaborating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to establish CRU offices in Enugu, Kano, and Rivers States and the expansion of the Lagos CRU office, ultimately making justice and accountability more accessible to the public.

“The Complaints Response Unit (CRU) has been instrumental in addressing public grievances and concerns related to police misconduct, human rights violations, and other issues in Nigeria.

“With the generous support and collaboration of the United Nations, the IGP is taking a significant step towards decentralizing and expanding CRU’s presence across the country in line with the provisions of Section 131 of the Police Act 2020.

“This expansion is a vital part of the IGP’s commitment to fostering a more transparent, accountable, and responsive policing system and aligning with international best practices by significantly reducing the barriers faced by citizens when reporting issues, and will also expedite the resolution process.

“Consequently, the project would involve an outreach programme whose primary objective is to develop effective strategies and modalities that will facilitate the expansion of CRU services to underserved rural communities and individuals with limited access.

“To achieve this, interactive town hall meetings in each of the four states, which will bring together 20 relevant stakeholders from these states as identified by the respective commands, have been scheduled. These sessions will provide a platform for open discussions and collaborations aimed at improving community-police relations and service quality.

“The town hall meetings will be held in Kano State on October 23rd; Lagos on October 25th; Rivers on October 31st; and Enugu State on November 8th, 2023.

“The Inspector General of Police remains steadfast in his commitment to nurturing positive community relations and ensuring the delivery of top-notch policing services to members of the public, with an emphasis on addressing issues of professional misconduct and other forms of infractions.

“He urges residents of the concerned states to cooperate with the Nigeria Police to birth an efficient complaint response process in the affected states for improved policing, while assuring that the CRU will promote trust, transparency, and accountability in the police force and enhance the government’s capacity to address human rights violations.”