The Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, popularly known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), has called on the media to play a critical role in promoting police accountability, transparency, and the protection of human rights, as enshrined in the Police Act 2020.
This formed the core of discussions during a town hall meeting held in Lagos, which brought together journalists from the South-West region.
The townhall event provided an opportunity to unpack the provisions of the Police Act 2020 and explore the media’s role in fostering responsible reporting on police-citizen interactions.
The Executive Director of PWAN, Kemi Okenyodo, represented by the Communications Officer, Ogechukwu Holly Mohanye, highlighted the objectives of the initiative.
According to her, the project seeks to address critical gaps in the understanding and application of the Police Act 2020 within the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
“The meeting aims to educate the public and specifically media organizations about the Police Act 2020, its impact on police-citizen interactions, and how the media can improve reporting practices,” Mohanye stated.
She added that the conversation was also to “explore how media practitioners can report on sensitive issues, such as arrests, stop-and-search operations, and profiling, in a responsible and rights-based manner.
“To devise actionable strategies to bridge gaps in the Act’s understanding and implementation across Nigeria,” She added.
One of the facilitators, Tosin Osasona from the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), underscored the challenges of managerial capacity within the Police Force.
“For some police stations, you have 1,000 officers, but what is the managerial capacity of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to manage them? Until we improve managerial capacity and accountability mechanisms within the Police, we cannot enhance their efficiency,” Osasona noted.
He also pointed to a key provision in the Police Act mandating only lawyers in the Police Force to prosecute cases, a reform, he said was yet to be fully implemented. “Conversations like this help publicise these provisions and push for their full application,” he added.
Another facilitator, Precious Osinaku, stressed the need for a multi-sectoral approach to establish accountability in the Police Force. “With proper collaboration and political will, Nigeria can have a policing system that truly serves the people,” she said.
The session provided an avenue for journalists to share experiences and insights into police-media relations.
Many practitioners acknowledged the importance of empathy in reporting and pledged to highlight the support required to improve police operations while avoiding undue victimisation in their narratives.
Participants agreed that the media has a pivotal role in bridging the gap between the Police and the public, advocating for reforms, and educating citizens on their rights under the Police Act.
