By Philomina Attah
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has intensified efforts to enhance internal accountability and transparency by upgrading its Complaint Response Unit (CRU), the central digital platform dedicated to tracking and resolving citizen grievances.
The newly appointed Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Edem, made this known on Friday during a courtesy visit to the Executive Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.
In a press statement issued on Saturday by NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Grace Ike, Edem said that the visit was part of a familiarisation tour aimed at building deeper media collaboration to raise public awareness about ongoing police reforms.
According to him, the CRU operates round the clock as the Force’s primary internal accountability mechanism, handling allegations of professional misconduct, extortion, harassment, and human rights abuses across the country.
He said that recent upgrades to the unit were tailored to shorten response time, improve case tracking, and ensure clearer reporting of outcomes.
Edem said that the drive was propelled by the Inspector-General of Police’s commitment to institutional reform.
To further deepen police-media relations at the regional level, he announced plans for an upcoming media parley with Zone 7.
He invited journalists to participate actively to ensure accurate and balanced coverage of police activities and reform progress.
”Journalists are part of the police family. Informed reporting helps the public hold institutions accountable while fostering constructive change,” he said.
Responding, the NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike, welcomed the enhancements to the CRU and reiterated the council’s readiness to partner with the police force.
Ike commended Edem’s open-door approach and assured that Abuja-based journalists would amplify citizen complaints and monitor CRU developments to ensure that matters raised receive necessary public attention and follow-up.
She said that a functional CRU provided a crucial opportunity for Nigeria’s media to exercise its watchdog role effectively.
“By publicising how complaints are lodged, tracked, and resolved, the media can help bridge the gap between citizens and the police while keeping policymakers accountable,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman