- Sanni said that the unit was created in 2015 to handle complaints against police officers from members of the public.
- Sanni assured more sensitisation to enlighten the public to take advantage of the opportunity to lodge their complaint for proper handling.
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF)says citizens should utilize its complaint response unit (CRU) to report misconduct of its officers.
El-Musta Sani, head of the complaint unit, made the plea at a submit organised by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) in collaboration with the Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice in Abuja.
Sani said the unit had received 459 complaints from public in the first quarter of 2024, adding that the unit was created in 2015 to handle complaints against police officers.
The CRU boss said that 265 of the cases had been resolved while 195 were still being handled by the police.
“It takes the Unit 21 days to receive and conclude investigations on all complaints,” Sanni said.
“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.
Sanni assured of more awareness campaigns to help public report police misconduct.
Speaking further, Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf, chief commissioner of PCC, noted the need to strengthen institutions to combat administrative injustice and corruption.
He said that summit was aimed to enhance service delivery and ensure equal access to the right to complain and raise issues, emphasising the importance of well-developed institutions in good governance.
“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 commissioner of PC said.
“The PCC, known as the Nigerian version of the Ombudsman, was established to investigate complaints regarding administrative actions.”
Sandra Benson, director administration of the foundation for youth empowerment and social justice said the foundation and PCC working together to ensure justice for victims.
She called for collective action and immediate responses to address citizens’ complaints and ensure good governance, emphasising the need for cooperation and sensitization to achieve 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,” she said.
Maurice Okoye, CEO of jewel social empowerment initiative, said that consequence management is crucial to address issues in Nigeria, as its absence leads to lack of accountability among government agency heads
Okoye said lack of confidence in the system hinders seeking justice, calling restoration of trust needed.