DIVISIONAL Police Officers (DPOs) are the primary, frontline, and most critical entry point into the criminal justice system.
The Executive Secretary (ES) of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr Tony Ojukwu, SAN, made this known during a townhall for DPOs in FCT on rights-based policing and oversight.
Ojukwu, represented by the Head, Civil and Political Rights of the Commission, Mr Halilu Adamu, said as the head of a police division, the DPO is responsible for receiving reports, initiating investigations, and ensuring compliance with the law at the community level.
The commission, he said, handed over the Nigeria Police Regulations 2025, gazetted in February 2026.
“The NHRC is directly involved in this process and these regulations are not merely administrative rules; but gold standard for professional conduct.
“For you, the DPOs, these updated regulations provide the clarity and protection you need to perform your duties within the bounds of international best practices.
“By adhering to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015., the Anti-Torture Act (2017), and these newly handed-over Regulations, you transition from confession-dependent policing to Intelligence led policing — a shift that protects both the citizen and the officer from legal liability,” he said.
He said that effective policing and the protection of human rights are two sides of the same coin.
“Public safety relies on public cooperation, and that cooperation is earned through the consistent respect for human dignity.
“By aligning our methods with the rule of law, we do not just “police” a population; we serve a nation” he said.
He therefore urged them to be candid and share systemic challenges they face in the FCT.
Speaking earlier on the primary goal of the meeting, Adamu, said the aim was to institutionalise a culture of human rights compliance within the FCT police force.
He explained that the specific objectives were to build legal capacity building and compliance.
He added it was to provide a deep-dive technical analysis of the Anti-Torture Act (2017) and ACJA (2015), ensuring officers understand the specific legal liabilities both personal and institutional—attached to non-compliance.
“To align Divisional-level intake procedures with Section 15 of the ACJA, electronic recording of statements and the mandatory presence of legal counsel during interrogation to eliminate “confessions” obtained through duress” he said.
He also noted that there should be a technical skills and behavioural shift to sensitise officers on modern, forensic-led investigation techniques that prioritise evidence gathering over physical force.
He advised that there should be a de-escalation of reliance on torture or degrading treatment.
He also explained that the meeting was to create operational synergy and accountability.
The meeting, he said, is aimed at establishing a framework for ongoing dialogue between the Police, the Legal Aid Council, and the Correctional Service to prevent “awaiting trial” congestion caused by illegal arrests”.
The FCT Commissioner of Police (CP) Mohammed Sanusi, represented by CSP Hiliary Unnug on his part, said that the command was open to improving on its performance.
In that light, he said the command will embrace new technologies in line with extant laws.
“The command will ensure total compliance for respect of the fundamental rights of citizens and will not hesitate to sanction erring officers,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DPOs of all the FCT Divisions attended the meeting.
Experts and staff members of Civil and Political rights department of the commission spoke on Anti-Torture Act 2017 and key issues in the ACJA 2015. (NAN)
