Lagos police want to hold officers more accountable, commence complaint response unit operations

ARINZE NWAFOR

The Lagos State Police Command has commenced operations of its Complaint Response Unit (CRU) and rolled out communication lines for citizens to report police professional misconduct. 

The Lagos police command CRU now receives complaints through a phone call number (0908 748 2365), a WhatsApp number (09111111151) and its Website (http://lagos.npf.gov.ng).

The CRU also receives complaints through its Facebook account (Lagos CRU), Instagram (policeng lagos) and Twitter handle (@Lagos_PoliceCRU).

A typical response by the CRU to a citizen complaint on Twitter goes thus, “Good afternoon sir. Welcome to [the] Lagos Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU). It’s unconstitutional for any police officer to demand money for mobilisation.” 

“However, send the details of your complaint to our DM.”

The CRU gave such a response on August 27, in response to a user, whose digital name is “Darams.”

Darams had joined a conversation with the CRU to narrate how he suffered a similar fate at a police station in Ikoyi where (an) officer(s) allegedly asked him to pay N10,000 to be able to make a report.

Darams further alleged to have negotiated to pay N2,000 instead and that as he made his way to see the Onikan Division Crime Officer, he was “stylishly” told that he would spend money to mobilise, “else I should look for a way to bring the accused to the station myself.” 

The CRU is steered by a small group of officers at the Lagos Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun commissioned the CRU, alongside other new command buildings, including a clinic.

Egbetokun told the Lagos police that the CRU is set up to promote accountability and not to witch-hunt the officers.

The CRU is “going to enhance police-community collaboration and build confidence in the members of the public,” Egbetokun said in his address.

“We are always appealing to the members of the public to cooperate with us; to give us information. We also have to show transparency to be able to get that cooperation from them,” the Ag. IGP continued.

Egbetokun said the Nigeria Police Force does not want the actions of police officers to be reported on social media any more.

He promised that the officers in charge of the CRU would be those with impeccable character and that they would receive training.

The Ag. IGP applauded the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, for following the provisions of Section 131 of the Police Act 2020 and setting up a CRU.

The Lagos CRU is the first to be set up in Nigeria.

Egbetokun thanked the organisations and companies that donated to building the CRU, including the telecommunication companies 9mobile and Airtel.

CP Owohunwa, during his speech, also appreciated the donors and assured the Ag. IGP that the Lagos command officers have “embraced and perfected his model of intelligence-led, citizen-driven and operationally proactive policing.” 

The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata; SAN, the constitutional lawyer, Femi Falana; SAN and Josephine Okei-Odumakin, a Women’s rights activist and president of Women Arise for Change Initiative and the Campaign for Democracy also attended the commissioning.

Akpata promised to work towards opening CRUs in both Edo State and Delta State.

Falana also pledged to work towards setting up a CRU in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Falana, who is also a human rights activist, warned the police officers and men of the Lagos command to beware of torture and illegal detention.

He told the police officers that new legislation in the country makes provision for a lawyer to be attached to each police station to monitor human rights.

Falana also offered to take up the case of any police officer who is unjustly accused and represent them in court pro bono.