Police Complaint Unit, ECAPI Mark Anniversaries with Sensitisation Campaign in Lagos
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that the Nigeria Police Force Complaint Response Unit (NPF-CRU) and the Eagle Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiative (ECAPI), an Anti-Crime Advocacy group, have jointly commemorated their anniversaries with a grassroots sensitisation campaign on police misconduct in Lagos.
The event, held on Saturday, marked ECAPI’s 10th anniversary and the CRU’s 11th anniversary, with a sensitisation road walk covering Igando, Ikotun and Isheri areas of the state.
The exercise was aimed at educating residents on how to report police misconduct and seek redress by promptly contacting the CRU, rather than attacking police personnel or suffering in silence.
The rally, which commenced at the ECAPI office, featured roadshows, market outreach, distribution of information materials and demonstrations of the CRU’s complaint-reporting platforms.
The campaign aligns with the reform agenda of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, who has reiterated the Force’s zero tolerance for police misconduct, particularly demands for bribes under the guise of bail and other unprofessional conduct.
Established in 2015, the CRU receives and tracks complaints of alleged extortion, harassment, illegal bail demands and other human rights violations involving police personnel.
Speaking at the event, ECAPI founder, Ambassador Eniola Samuel Adam, said the partnership between both organisations had significantly increased public awareness of the CRU and educated more Nigerians on the appropriate channels for reporting complaints against police officers.
He described the joint anniversary celebration as a milestone for both organisations and an opportunity to recognise the impact of their collaboration.
“The Inspector-General of Police gave us the mandate for advocacy, and we are ready and doing the work.
“As stated by the Inspector-General of Police, bail is free, and no officer should go foul.
“We have also partnered with many organisations and individuals. The goal is to say no to impunity,” Adam said.
Also speaking, ECAPI’s Administration Director, Reagan Onuoha, said the rally was organised to commemorate the milestones and impact of both organisations.
He explained that the joint celebration demonstrated the effectiveness of the collaboration between ECAPI and the CRU, noting that public awareness of the police complaints unit had improved considerably through ECAPI’s advocacy activities.
“Many Nigerians did not know much about the CRU before, but now, because ECAPI is serving as an advocacy agent, this has also rubbed off on the CRU,” he said.
Onuoha said the collaboration was ultimately about safeguarding citizens’ rights, addressing impunity and ensuring that erring police personnel were held accountable or made to desist from unprofessional conduct.
“It is all about the rights of people being safeguarded and impunity from bad eggs among the police being stopped so that sanity is maintained and everyone can enjoy the work of the police,” he added.
He said the partnership had yielded positive results, including increased public awareness of the police, the law and citizens’ rights, as well as the need to avoid taking the law into their own hands.
The latest Lagos rally is intended to further bridge the awareness gap and encourage residents to use established complaint channels whenever they experience or witness police misconduct.
The partnership was formally launched at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where ECAPI, led by its founder, Ambassador Eniola Samuel Adam, met with the Inspector-General of Police through the leadership of the CRU.
Registered in 2016, ECAPI is a security-focused non-governmental organisation also known as Crime Stoppers. It collaborates with law enforcement and public agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), on intelligence gathering, community policing, anti-drug advocacy and traffic law awareness.
Its motto is: “ECAPI, Blow Your Whistle; See Something, Report It.”
Adam urged residents to report cases of police misconduct through the appropriate channels rather than confront officers on the road, assuring that the CRU was committed to resolving complaints promptly and providing feedback to complainants.
He reiterated that ECAPI was established to promote public safety through awareness, crime prevention and collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
