By Amos Aar
THE EXECUTIVE Director, Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), Kemi Okenyodo, has stressed the critical role of the media in the advocacy to popularise and create awareness on the new Nigeria Police Act 2020.
Okenyodo made the remark in her welcome address on Thursday at a Media Townhall Meeting on Human Rights, the Police Act 2020 and Regulations organised by Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative (also known as PWAN) held at the Grand Pela Hotel & Suites, Abuja.
The townhall meeting was held under the theme: “Enhancing Police Governance: Deepening Understanding of the Police Act 2020 and Regulations Across Nigeria.”
Okenyodo noted that despite the fact that the new Police Act, ratified in 2020, marked a historic reform of the Nigeria Police Force by embedding new standards in transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights, over three years after enactment, significant gaps in public understanding still exist.
She stressed that it was in recognition of this gaps that PWAN resolved to organise series of engagements with stakeholders among which is bringing journalists from various outlets to learn and collaborate on informing the public about the Act’s new regulations.
“Through this town hall meeting, we’re addressing essential issues within the Police Act 2020 and the media’s role in making them accessible,” Okenyodo explained, adding that the media remain a key component in informing the public on rights-preserving measures.
“By virtue of the Constitution, the media is an essential partner in accountability,” Okenyodo stated and stressed: “You play a pivotal role in educating the public, monitoring policies, and holding institutions to account.”
According to her, a central goal of the meeting was to provide journalists with practical insights to responsibly report on police activities, especially in sensitive areas like arrests, stop-and-search procedures, and profiling.
In his goodwill message, Mr. Cliff Gai, the Program Lead of the UK Integrated Security Fund, echoed Okenyodo’s thematic sentiments, and described the media as an “agenda-setter.”
Gai urged journalists to leverage their platforms to spotlight the Police Act and keep citizens informed on the reform process.
“When people understand the scope of police reforms, they can better hold law enforcement accountable,” Gai said, adding: “Only then can we foster the accountability and transparency that this law seeks to establish.”
The meeting featured a presentation that highlighted the core components of the Police Act followed by a three-person panel of discussants who explored the dynamics of reporting police and rights abuse.
In his presentation, a human rights advocate, Mr. Obiora Nwosu, detailed the fundamental differences between the old and new Police Acts.
He said unlike its predecessor, the Police Act 2020 prohibits forced confessions but places premium on human rights protection.
“This Act prioritises transparency, accountability, equity, and fairness,” Nwosu said, adding that it sets clear boundaries on how law enforcement interacts with the public, especially in terms of information disclosure and protecting citizens from unjust treatment.
Nwosu pointed out that the new Police Act safeguards citizens from arbitrary actions such as prohibiting the police from extracting statements without legal representation among others.
He said with regard to press freedom concerns, the new Police Act aims to create a balanced framework where journalists can access information while respecting certain restrictions on disclosing sensitive details that might hinder investigation or endanger lives.
The media’s potential to influence public perception and understanding was underscored in the panel discussion moderated by Mr. Diego Okenyodo, CEO of Akweya TV, while the panelists include Iduh Onah, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of National Record, Justina Asishana of The Nation Newspaper, and Comrade Idris Miliki, a human rights advocate.
Onah noted that a preference for sensational reporting often overshadow the priority or focus on basic issues of right abuse and proper conduct of police in their engagements with citizens. He explained that the Nigerian audience’s appetite for scandal also distracts journalists from responsible journalism.
“For the media to truly fulfill its role, we must go beyond surface-level news,” Onah said, urging his colleagues to balance audience demands with the need to inform citizens on substantive issues including police conduct.
On her part, Asishana highlighted limitations in accessing detailed police information, especially at her duty post in Niger State, where investigative journalism is hindered by official silence.
“Even when police parade suspects, they often restrict meaningful information, limiting our ability to dig deeper,” she said.
For Comrade Miliki, journalists often lack the resources and support needed for thorough or detailed report or follow-up after initial coverage, a situation he said weakens journalists’ efforts at holding police to account.
