AIG Hamzat launches anti-extortion Complaint Response Unit in Port Harcourt

By ABIRHIRE THOMAS

As the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, reiterated the Nigeria Police Force’s zero tolerance for extortion, impunity, and corruption from its officers, Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 16, AIG Adebola Hamzat, has launched a Complaint Response Unit (CRU) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to tackle the menace.

This happened as commissioning and public presentation of the Rivers State Police Command’s Complaint Response Unit office took place by the AIG at the state command’s headquarters on Thursday October 24, 2024.

Representing the Inspector General of Police, A8G Hamzat noted that the Force is poised to meet expectations of the Nigerian public.

He said, “IG has said it and we are echoing it that there’s is zero tolerance for extortion, there’s zero tolerance for corruption and we do not take it where people whose money is used to pay you salary are the ones to suffer unnecessary tension, unnecessary impunity from police officers.

“We have had courses to tell hm. We’ve gone round to give them training. And we’ll continue to improve on what we have on the ground. We pray that the Nigeria Police will meet the expectations of the police we serve.”

Acknowledging the lacuna associated with the Force, which he said was the principal law enforcement agency in the country, the AIG stressed that contrary to public opinion, cases of misconduct reported to the force are duly addressed.

“The Nigeria Police Force is the principal law enforcement agency in the country, that is the fact known to everyone whose vision includes making Nigeria safer and more secure for economic development and growth, and creating a safe and secure environment for everyone living in Nigeria.

“However, actual and perceived impunity, corruption, extortion, and other human rights abuses are what people see we commit. Just like the discussion I was telling them that no organization, no institution deals with their home when there’s misconduct like the police. Now, there are some lacuna and it is that lacuna that the Complaint Response Unit has come to give us.

“If people report, they always don’t know that actions are taken because there’s no feedback system. But there’s no misconduct reported to the police authority that actions are not taken.

“I stand bold to say this and let everyone who knows to the contrary, contradict this. But, if you report a case, you’re not supposed to be visiting the police station every day. We should have a way to tell you that your case, this is what had been decided, and this is the punishment meted out to the perpetrator of that complaint you have given to us, that we hadn’t before.”

Continuing he said, “So, the CRU also gives that protection because people fear to give information to the police, that if you go and report him after they have done this, he’ll come back. At least at the initial time of reporting, nobody knows your identity, it’s an online thing and we can always have that as feedback, and give the use of technology to see that you’re well served, for you, finance the Nigeria Police Force.

“The CRU was created in 2015 and since then, they’ve been doing a very good job. I know that if anyone wants to say the truth, recent happenings show that police are changing and we will continue to change”.

The IG further thanked various stakeholders and sister agencies for their continued collaboration, pledging the Force’s resolve to promote effective policing in the country.

“This is an era of community policing. The Nigeria Police Force can not do it alone. We do it with sister agencies and not just that, policing is not just a government affair, that is why we collaborate with traditional rulers, we collaborate with student unions, we collaborate with CSOs, community-based organizations, and so on, to make sure that you partake, you partner with us, we know what are your policing needs and we go by what you want, how you want to be policed so that we can have effect policing brought to the door of the people,” the police boss said.

In his remarks, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes country representative in Nigeria, Cheikh Toure, commended the IG for the initiative, noting that it aligns with the UNODC’s vision for Nigeria.

Represented by Muchaneta Mundas, Toure said, “This initiative aligns with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s strategic vision for Nigeria 2030, particularly in the priority areas aimed at strengthening the criminal justice system, ensuring access to justice, protecting victims of crime and safeguarding society from corruption and illicit financial flaws.

“Effective policing is rooted in integrity and the steadfast commitment to upholding human rights. A robust accountability framework must be provided to ensure that opportunities are provided to the public to voice their concerns, implement proper reporting procedures, and establish accessible complaint mechanisms for addressing issues directly with the police and also through external parties.

“The establishment of the complaints response unit meets this essential criteria and remains crucial to the building of partnership and cooperation between the members of the Nigeria Police Force and the public they serve. Therefore, the directive from the inspector general of police to establish complaint response units across the 36 states in Nigeria is commendable”.