The Federal Government has inaugurated the Police Public
Complaints Committee to investigate and address brutality and rights
infringement by members of the Nigeria Police.
Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Dingyadi, while
inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Wednesday, said the development was a
result of last year’s #EndSARS protests following the incidences of police
brutality.
The Ministry of Police Affairs is to chair the PPCC, while
the Police Inspectorate Department will serve as the secretary.
Other members of the committee are the Police Service
Commission; Ministry of Justice; National Human Rights Commission; National
Intelligence Agency; the CLEEN Foundation; Nigeria Police Force; Police
Community Relations Committee and the Department of State Security Service.
Dingyadi said the objective of the PPCC was to serve as an
institution that has oversight on the activities of police personnel viz-a-viz
their interaction with the public.
The minister noted that the complaints against police
misconduct at police stations or commands have not achieved the desired
results.
He said, “Once the PPCC becomes operational, I will expect it to swing into action by embarking on wide publicity and sensitization campaigns to enable Nigerians to be aware of its existence and its functions and thereby recognize it as the proper avenue to channel their complaints against police personnel.”
Dingyadi said the committee was also expected to create a
platform and special dedicated phone numbers through which the public can
channel their complaints.
He urged the PPCC to decentralize its structure to ensure
that Nigerians have easy access to it by opening channels of communication at
all local government headquarters.
He added that the PPCC was designed to have a sub-committee
to be known as Special Investigation Unit that will be made up of
professionals.
“The Committee is not out to witch-hunt the men and officers
of the Nigeria Police Force, rather it is to work in synergy with police to
ensure it carries out its mandate effectively,’’ he stressed.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr Temitope Fashedemi pointed out
that the committee was part of moves to revamp the police, adding that those
who are manning public institutions are paid with public funds and are
duty-bound to operate within the ambit of the law and approved rules of
engagement.
He stated, “’Police Public Complaints Committee is an
additional layer for the protection of people’s rights whenever there seems to
be an infringement on these rights or abuse of power, particularly by the
police personnel in the discharge of their duties”.
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