Human Rights Commission Flags Off Police Station Visitors Week, Targets Recommendations To Solve Challenges

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has flagged off a week long Police Station Visitors Week (PSVW), explaining that the aim is to enhance Police accountability, identify good practices and document challenges that may exist.

The NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, who flagged off the PSVW at the Life Camp Police Station in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, further said the aim is to make action-oriented recommendations to appropriate authorities, as well as carrying out advocacy for improvement of detention facilities.

He said the trained visitors are to generate their data from selected states for the exercise including Sokoto for the North West; Bauchi for the North East; Benue for the North Central; Oyo for South West; Imo for South East; Edo for South South, and of course, the Federal Capital Territory

Ojukwu said that such data gathered during the audit would be analysed and published as a report to be shared with all Stakeholders.

According to NHRC Executive Secretary, “This flag-off marks the beginning of the PSVW in all the affected States, in furtherance of the Commission’s mandate to carry out periodic audit of places of detention across the country towards ensuring that practices in the detention facilities conform to human rights standards.

“The focus of this exercise is Police Detention Centres. However, the National Human Rights Commission also carries out periodic audit of other places of detention, in line with its mandate.

“The outcome of these exercises in the past, have led to far reaching reforms and policies in institutions like the Nigeria Correctional Services and the Nigeria Police Force.The audit exercise will take place from today, Monday, 21 to Friday, 25 February 2022 and as I speak, monitors have been sent to one State per geo-political zone, to carry out the audit in some police stations in those States.

“These monitors have been appropriately trained to go about the assignment with every sense of responsibility and diligence, having in mind that the National Human Rights Commission’s mandate is to protect and promote the rights of everyone in Nigeria and this includes persons in detention and even the detaining officers.

“The PSVW project is part of a larger project on Strengthening Police Reform in Nigeria, funded by MacArthur Foundation and implemented by the Commission, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, CLEEN Foundation, Network for Police Reforms (NOPRIN), and the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC).

“In carrying out the assignment, these trained Visitors are tasked to collect and document information regarding the Police Stations, suspects (detainees), condition of the detention facility, community relations, treatment of detainees, gender integration, as well as the welfare of the detaining authorities.”

Ojukwu commended the Police Force for cooperating with the Commission towards making the PSVW a success, and urge it to continue the collaboration, which is aimed at ensuring a culture of respect for human rights in Nigeria.