Police Complaint Unit, ECAPI to Sensitise Lagos Residents on Reporting Misconduct

By Emmanuel Daniji

The Nigeria Police Force Complaint Response Unit (NPF-CRU), in partnership with the Eagle Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiative (ECAPI), is set to sensitise Lagos residents on how to report police misconduct and seek justice.

The mega sensitisation rally, scheduled for Friday, October 23, 2026, will begin at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja. Activities will include roadshows, market outreach, distribution of information materials and demonstrations on how residents can use the CRU’s complaint-reporting platforms.

The campaign is part of efforts to promote accountability and transparency within the Nigeria Police Force, in line with the reform agenda of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, who was recently invested as Grand Patron of the CRU-ECAPI partnership.

Established in 2015, the CRU receives and tracks complaints involving alleged extortion, harassment, illegal bail demands and other human rights violations.

According to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Edem, the unit is being strengthened to improve transparency, make complaint tracking more effective and reduce the time required to resolve cases to 21 days.

Despite recording 459 complaints in the first quarter of 2024 alone, the police acknowledge that many Nigerians remain unaware of the unit and its reporting channels. These include WhatsApp, telephone lines, social media and walk-in petitions.

The forthcoming rally is expected to bridge this awareness gap by reaching market women, students, commercial drivers and young people across Lagos.

The partnership was formally launched at the Force Headquarters in Abuja about two weeks ago, when a 15-member ECAPI delegation led by its founder, Ambassador Eniola Samuel Adam, met with the Inspector-General of Police through the CRU leadership.

ECAPI has supported the campaign with branded clothing, banners, billboards, jingles, flyers and public address equipment.

Registered in 2016, ECAPI, also known as Crime Stoppers, is a security-focused non-governmental organisation that collaborates with law enforcement and public agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.

Its activities cover intelligence gathering, community policing, anti-drug advocacy and traffic law awareness. The organisation’s motto is: “ECAPI, Blow Your Whistle; See Something, Report It.”

Speaking ahead of the rally, the newly appointed CRU commander, SP Anietie Inniedo, said the unit was committed to investigating complaints and ensuring that officers found guilty of misconduct were held accountable.

“The era of shielding bad eggs is over. The CRU reports directly to the IGP through the Force PRO. Every complaint, whether through WhatsApp, telephone calls, social media or walk-in petitions, is logged, tracked and investigated,” Inniedo said.

He urged residents to report misconduct through the appropriate channels rather than confront police officers on the road. He added that the unit aimed to resolve complaints within 21 days and provide feedback to complainants.

ECAPI founder Adam said the organisation was established to promote public safety through awareness, crime prevention and collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

“Government and the police cannot do it alone. Security is everybody’s responsibility. We are not fighting the police; we are supporting them,” he said.

Adam explained that the rally would take the campaign directly to communities, with Lagos serving as the starting point for a wider sensitisation drive across Nigeria.

“Our partnership with the CRU is for a safer Nigeria. We have worked with the NDLEA and in schools; now we are taking the campaign to the streets,” he added.

The Lagos exercise will be the partnership’s first major public engagement in the state, following sensitisation tours in Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory.

Through the initiative, the organisers hope to encourage more Nigerians to report alleged police misconduct, understand the available channels for seeking redress and contribute to a safer society.