The Youth Anti-Crime Advocacy Campaign jointly coordinated by the Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) and Eagles Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiatives (ECAPI) has kicked off in Lagos.
The campaign, led by ECAPI's Samuel Eniola Adams, features roadshows, public announcements and the distribution of educational materials across key locations in Lagos State to raise awareness about crime prevention and educate residents on how to report complaints against police officers.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held on Friday at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja, Deputy Commissioner of Police Anthony Placid, who represented Tijani, said the initiative would strengthen cooperation, intelligence sharing and community relations.
“The leadership of the Police Complaint Response Unit and Eagles Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiatives should be commended for today's advocacy event.
“There's no better time than now for this collaboration. Through cooperation and unity, intelligence sharing and the diffusion of tension in communities will become top priorities,” he said.
Placid, on behalf of the commissioner, expressed the command's appreciation to the organisers and reaffirmed its commitment to the initiative.
The National Coordinator of the CRU-ECAPI Advocacy Campaign, Samuel Eniola Adams, said the programme was designed to sensitise Nigerians to police brutality, extortion and the principle that bail is free.
He said the campaign would also reinforce the Inspector-General of Police's zero-tolerance stance on corruption and impunity, warning that officers who violated the police leadership's directives would face appropriate sanctions.
“Our mandate is to take the message directly to the grassroots, including local government areas, markets, motor parks, police stations, barracks and everywhere,” Adam said.
He expressed concern that many young people were unaware that certain actions constituted criminal offences and have consequences.
According to him, conventional media platforms such as radio, television and newspapers do not always reach young people effectively, making direct community engagement necessary.
“We have to take the message directly to them. We must stop crime totally. Advocacy is our calling at ECAPI,” he said.
Also speaking, Superintendent of Police Awuf Fidelis, head of the Complaint Response Unit at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, said the partnership was important to ongoing efforts to rebuild public trust in the police.
He said the initiative was aimed at strengthening accountability, confidence and cooperation between the police and members of the public.
“The police want to build more trust with the public. That is why we have partnered with ECAPI for this advocacy. Trust between the police and the public is growing, and we want more,” Fidelis said.
He reiterated that bail was free and said the Inspector-General of Police had emphasised that both the giver and receiver of bribes could face prosecution.
“Nobody is expected to pay a dime for bail after arrest,” he said.
Fidelis added that the police had intensified efforts to prosecute officers found culpable of misconduct and other abuses, urging members of the public to report unprofessional conduct.
He said the CRU received petitions and complaints against officers and acted on reports of misconduct, adding that the unit's activities had encouraged more residents to come forward.
He urged Nigerians to support efforts to improve policing by reporting misconduct through the CRU's designated telephone numbers, petition channels and WhatsApp platform.
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