5 hours ago
2
To create awareness among Nigerians on the new Police Act of 2020, a non-governmental organisation, Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative (PWAN), has put together a town hall for media practitioners in the South-east with a view to deepening their knowledge and understanding of the Nigeria Police Act.
The group said the programme became necessary because many Nigerian citizens, including journalists, were not aware of their rights under the 2020 Police Act.
Speaking during a one-day media Town Hall on Human Rights, the Police Act 2020 and Regulations held in Enugu Thursday, the Executive Director of PWAN, Ms. Kemi Okenyodo, said the programme was designed to keep the participants abreast with the new current Police Act.
Ms Okenyodo, who spoke through the monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the organisation, Mrs. Nkem Okereke, noted that there was a significant disconnect between police operations and community expectations.
She said the project “seeks to address critical gaps in the understanding and application of the Police Act 2020 and the accompanying regulations within the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).”
“This will improve the knowledge of the police officers and citizens of recent changes and reforms within the police force and further improve human rights application as contained in the Act.
“Through the town hall meeting today which is specifically for the media houses and journalists, we aim to promote awareness of citizens’ rights under the Police Act 2020, allowing us to address the gap in public knowledge regarding human rights and the provisions of the Police Act 2020.
“Many citizens remain unaware of their rights under the Act, and as a result, may lack the confidence to hold the police accountable for misconduct or abuses of power,” she said.
Comrade Okechukwu Nwanguma of the Rule of law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Lagos, who made a presentation on the new Police Act, harped on the need for media practitioners to be acquainted with the Act in order to help in sensitising members of the public.
