By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
Cleen Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, says it has organised a training for stakeholders from the police oversight agencies on human rights documentation and management.
The Foundation also said that the training becomes imperative owing to the growing rate of misconduct among some security personnel.
This was disclosed by the Executive Director of the foundation, Comrade Gad Peter, who spoke at the opening of the training in Jos,
He explained that the training would strengthen the capacity of the oversight bodies and other law enforcement agencies toward addressing the menace of police brutality and create a robust relationship between the men of the force and the public.
”Cleen as an organisation has been a safety and police-friendly organisation; we have been working closely with the police and other security agencies toward a better policing in Nigeria.
“Basically, this programme is a capacity building workshop for agencies who are in charge of investigations and sanctioning of police officers that have erred.
”What we are doing is trying to strengthen their capacities to ensure that the public know their existence and we are hoping that we will be able to create the desire awareness in that regard.
“This engagement will further enable the ordinary Nigerian on the street not to take laws in their hands when they are in conflict with uniform personnel; rather they will report and when that is done, appropriate actions will be taken,” he maintained.
Peter added that the training would further ensure a more professional, effective police and efficient policing in communities.
He identified participants at the event to include stakeholders from Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Public Complaint Commission, Police Service Commission and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), among others.
The Executive Director, who decried the quantum of damage caused by the 2020 End-SARS protest, said that the training would address such issues.
”During the EndSARS protest lives were lost, manpower and other economic resources well, it is something we will not want a repeat.
”This training is important because it will ensure that we have a police that is effective and professional and one that the public will have confidence in.
”This will also enable the public to know their roles and support the police to function well,” he said.
In a brief remark, Mr Tony Ojukwu, the Executive Secretary, described the training as ”apt”.
Ojukwu, represented by Mr Halilu Adamu, the Deputy Director, Civil and Political Department of NHRC, said that the exercise would ensure total protection of rights of citizens.
Participants at the training were drawn from states in the North-Central and North-East geopolitical zones.
