In Nigeria, decades of actual and perceived impunity for corruption and human rights violations and abuses associated with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) have led to a gradual erosion of public trust in the police. Public distrust has compromised the legitimacy and ability of the police to respond to an increasingly complex security environment. Meanwhile, existing mechanisms for police oversight are underutilized and there has been insufficient progress made toward ending impunity for police violations and abuses.
Our Work
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in partnership with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, initiated two distinct but interrelated police oversight and accountability projects, which were developed in response to a request for support from the Inspector General of Police to support its internal oversight mechanism managed through the Complaints Response Unit (CRU), a public-facing complaints management system designed to respond to all cases of police professional misconduct that occur during police-citizen interactions.
We recognize that police oversight cannot and should not remain an exclusively internal exercise. External oversight bodies, notably the Police Service Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, as well as numerous civil society organizations play a critical role in ensuring that there is greater transparency and accountability in police actions and inactions.
Our Partners
Key partners include the Nigeria Police Force, National Human Rights Commission, Police Service Commission, Ministry of Police Affairs, and Civil Society Organizations.
Our Projects
