Group Sensitises Journalists on Police Act To Promote Citizens’ Rights
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
An NGo, Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), on Saturday conducted an indepth training of more than 70 Journalists on the 2020 Police Act and its impact on police-citizen interactions and media reporting.
The training, supported by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), was held in Kano, and drew participants from Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states.
The Syndicate reports that the participants were from selected radio, TV, print, and social media platforms in the region.
In her welcome address, PWAN programme manager, Hajiya Aisha Yusuf said the training was part of the project on ‘Enhancing Police Governance: Deepening Understanding of the Police Act 2020 and Regulations Across Nigeria’.
“The project aims to enhance the understanding and implementation of the Police Act 2020 and its associated regulations among the Nigerian Police Management Team and the broader public, thereby fostering more informed, effective community members.”
According to her, this is an important initiative to ensure that both the public and the media understand their rights and responsibilities under the new law, as well as the expected conduct of police officers.
Hajiya Aisha maintained that the interaction was an essential step to strengthening trust, transparency, and accountability between law enforcement agencies and communities.
She added that the training will educate the participants on Police Act’s connection to human rights, police-citizen interactions, arrest, stop and search procedures, profiling, and other issues.
The PWAN programme manager said the was expected to highlight the provisions of the law so as to engender understanding, accountability, and enhance trust and transparent dealings between the police and the public.
“This engagement marks a significant step toward integrating the Police Act 2020 into media reporting, ensuring that human rights and accountability are at the forefront of law enforcement narratives in the Northwestern region”.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Kano State Governor on Community Policing, Hajiya Maryam Umar said building cordial working relations between the police and communities was vital to enhancing security.
“Good understanding and hormonal relationship is the best and easiest process in providing effective peace and security,” she said.
In his presentation, a lawyer, Sani Ammani highlighted some of the objectives of 2020 Police Act, saying its provisions were responsive to the needs of the country, and placed priority on equity, justice and fairness.
He emphasised the need for the police to respect the dignity of persons, safeguard the fundamental rights of Nigerians, and build enduring cooperation and partnership between the police and communities, as contained in the Act.
According to him, the allows police personnel to conduct investigation, make arrest with or without arrest warrant, write statements, and protect the lives and property of every person residing in Nigeria.
On her part, Hajiya Maryam Rabi’u, who spoke on the role of the media in promoting awareness of the Nigeria Police Act, said the media can conduct investigative reporting and run public awareness programmes to inform citizens about their rights as contained in the Act.
She emphasized the need for journalist to facilitate dialogue, monitor the implementation of the Act, report success stories especially of police officers conduct themselves in strict compliance with the law, and related issues that will deepen police-citizen interactions.
