Really?! Nigeria Police Force set to establish a Complaint Response Unit

Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase has approved the setting up of a Complaint Response Unit (CRU). The 24/7 multi-platform which will be officially launched on Friday, November 13, is aimed at promptly addressing real time complaints, concerns and queries regarding activities of officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force.

Briefing journalists at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Monday, November 9, CSP Abayomi Shogunle, Officer in charge of (CRU) said the initiative is “community- oriented complaint management system” and is aimed at winning public trust and confidence as police forces all over the world are becoming more open to the citizens and the public.

He also noted that the Unit is designed to provide a veritable platform for the public, to report rising cases of professional misconduct by police officers, such as torture, extortion, and taking undue advantage of the public.

CSP Shogunle added that the unit will be operational in all the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with the central control Room situated in Abuja Nigeria.

     "What the police leadership has done by establishing this unit, is to send a signal that…the era of impunity is over, and that professional misconducts by police officers will no longer be tolerated, and they are not supported by the management of the Nigeria Police Force." Shogunle said

     "It is also to show that necessary actions are being taken by the force to ensure that the gap that existed between the police and the citizens, are closed up."

CSP Abayomi Shogunle also disclosed that the unit would be composed of detectives from all over the federation; Investigators, Provost departments, while every police station will have an officer from CRU attached to it to treat injustices meted out to Nigerians by the police and report back to force headquarters within 24 hours.