The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on Thursday received a delegation of civil society organisations at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where he pledged tougher accountability measures within the Nigeria Police Force.
The delegation was led by human rights lawyer Femi Falana and included representatives of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Yiaga Africa, Transparency International Nigeria and other legal and governance groups.
Speaking during the meeting, Falana congratulated Disu on his appointment and urged him to ensure full implementation of the Nigeria Police Act 2020. He stressed the need for officers to notify families after arrests, respect suspects’ rights to legal representation and avoid making arrests over civil disputes.
Falana also called for stricter sanctions against officers who violate citizens’ constitutional rights.
In response, Disu thanked the civil society groups for their engagement and reaffirmed his commitment to people-oriented policing.
He said the police would continue reforms aimed at improving accountability, transparency and public trust.
The IGP said measures already underway include revised training manuals, better welfare for officers and renewed directives against police involvement in civil matters.
He also pledged to strengthen the Force Complaint Response Unit and Monitoring Unit to ensure misconduct is properly addressed.