Henry Okonkwo
HUMAN rights group, the Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Center (RULAAC), with support from the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), in collaboration with the Anambra State Police Command, have launched a platform to curb the worrisome tide of police brutality, and bridge the gap between men of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the citizenry.
The platform, Police Stakeholders Partnership Forum (PSPF), which was launched recently in Awka, Anambra state, also aims to address the deficit in monitoring capacity within communities and to fill the gap in citizens’ awareness of the Anambra State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2010.
Speaking at the launch, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. John Abang tagged the PSPF as a welcome initiative in ensuring a better security network in the state. “PSPF is a welcome move, and the purpose of the platform is to promote interaction among stakeholders, to track, report, discuss and resolve cases and incidents in the state,” he said.
Speaking on the impact of PSPF, RULAAC’s executive director, Mr. Okey Nwanguma explained that it would serve as a mechanism for holding NPF personnel to account for rights violations while growing skills and awareness to ensure prevention and reduction of such violations.