The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Police Service Commission (PSC), and CLEEN Foundation have all pledged to deepen rights-based policing and strengthen accountability as steps toward rebuilding trust between police and communities.
Making the pledge as people worried about safety, dignity and trust , senior police officers, divisional commanders, civil society activists and legal experts all gathered in Abuja for the concluding session of the Town Hall Meeting on Rights-Based Policing in the FCT
The conversations shifted from policy language to the real-life consequences of policing. A mother’s quiet question about how to get redress when her son disappeared; a young officer’s honest admission that he wants training, oversight, and clearer rules so he can do his job without fear of abuse or reprisal; a rights advocate recalling a survivor’s story of torture and the long struggle for justice. These personal notes underscored why the meeting mattered.
At the center of the Townhall communication was a renewed promise: the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Police Service Commission (PSC), and CLEEN Foundation pledged to deepen rights-based policing and strengthen accountability , not only as legal obligations but as steps toward rebuilding trust between police and communities.
Mr Halilu Adamu, representing the NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Chief Tony Ojukwu OFR,SAN, said the timing could not be more critical.
He described the town hall as arriving at a defining moment for security and justice reforms, coming on the heels of the Nigeria Police Regulations 2025 and the formal launch of the NHRC–NPF Liaison Framework by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
Beyond the technicalities, Adamu emphasized the liaison’s human value: a mechanism to connect human-rights monitors with police commanders for real-time case tracking and quicker dispute resolution, so that families get answers and officers get support to respect rights, “These changes are meant to make everyday interactions with the police safer and fairer” he explained.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, ACP Bernard Ajewole echoed that sentiment.
He said the force is committed to sustaining its partnership with the Commission and that the town hall’s recommendations could help translate laws , like the Anti-Torture Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act into everyday practice. For many officers in the room, that means clearer guidance and accountability that protect both citizens and honest police personnel.
From the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu’s representative, Legal Officer Happiness Obele, pointed to the Police Act 2020 as a strong legal foundation for reform but acknowledged obstacles that still hit the human level: inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and low public awareness. He asked the audience to imagine better-equipped stations, timely investigation of complaints, and outreach that restores confidence in the system.
CLEEN Foundation’s senior program officer, Nnamdi Oboh, reminded attendees that nearly a decade after the Anti-Torture Act, implementation gaps remain. He urged practical steps to strengthen accountability, professional training, and community participation , measures that would not only punish wrongdoing but prevent it, and in doing so reduce the pain carried by victims and families.
Throughout the session, participants returned to the same idea: effective policing and the protection of human rights are two sides of the same coin. The voices heard from Citizens seeking answers, to an officer asking for help gave urgency to the pledge by the NHRC, NPF, PSC, and CLEEN Foundation to turn legal reforms into tangible changes at street level.
As the town hall closed, the commitment felt less like a policy line and more like a promise between neighbours: improved oversight, transparent investigations, and sustained collaboration aimed at rebuilding a citizen-centred police service where security and dignity go hand in hand.
