By Abubakar Yunusa
The Elixir Trust Foundation, in partnership with the Action Group on Free Civic Space, has convened a high-level policy review session on Sections 235 and 133 of the Nigeria Police Force Act 2020, with a focus on strengthening discipline, professionalism and public trust in the policing system.
Held in Abuja on Tuesday,the forum brought together law-enforcement officers, policymakers, activists, civil society groups and community representatives.
Executive Director of Elixir Trust Foundation, Emmanuel Ikule, said the engagement went beyond a routine policy dialogue, describing it as part of wider efforts to deepen security-sector reforms.
He said Sections 235 and 133 were central to Nigeria’s quest for a police force that is transparent, responsive and accountable.
“These provisions directly address discipline and oversight, which citizens have consistently demanded to improve police operations,” he explained.
Ikule stated that the review aimed at identifying gaps in the implementation of the Act and designing reforms that could enhance police conduct nationwide.
He stressed that safety and justice remained shared responsibilities, adding that a stable nation required a policing system that respected the people it served.
Participants assessed strategies to strengthen collaboration between the police and civil society organisations in promoting human rights and rebuilding community trust.
While acknowledging ongoing efforts by the Nigeria Police Force to modernise its operations and embrace community policing, the foundation said more work was needed to ensure justice for women, youths and other vulnerable groups.
The meeting ended with a call for stronger oversight, sustained reforms and increased stakeholder participation to reposition accountability as a central pillar of democratic governance.
Ikule reminded participants that public engagement and youth involvement were essential to shaping future policing policies.
“We all have a collective duty to ensure we have a police force we can trust and a system that protects our rights in line with Sections 33 to 44 of the Constitution,” he said.
He added that citizens must understand their rights and responsibilities to help build a secure and just policing structure.
Programme Officer at Spaces for Change, Testimony Omole, said human rights defenders, journalists and stakeholders must work together to safeguard Nigeria’s civic space amid rising concerns about restrictions on free expression and peaceful assembly.
Omole said civic space—both online and offline—was shrinking due to security overreach, intimidation and the actions of state actors.
He warned that research conducted five years ago linked the contraction of civic freedoms to arrests and harassment of citizens for expressing dissent, especially on social media.
According to him, the #EndSARS protests remained a defining example of how peaceful demands for accountability were met with violent crackdowns.
Omole said the Action Group had since developed interventions across the six geopolitical zones to protect civic freedoms, promote inclusion and strengthen youth participation.
He stressed the need to engage security agencies as partners in reform, rather than adversaries, noting that police training frameworks must incorporate human-rights standards and global best practices.
“The stakeholder convening is crucial to addressing the pressures facing Nigeria’s civic space,” he added.
Senior Programme Officer with the UK Integrated Security Fund, Cliff Gai, said accountability was an essential element of policing structures.
Gai said the UK-supported reforms were aimed at professionalising police response mechanisms and strengthening units responsible for handling citizen complaints.
He said such structures must ensure that infractions were thoroughly investigated and prevented from recurring.
According to him, sustained advocacy and stronger systems would eventually shift greater responsibility to civil society whenever public accountability becomes urgent.
He added that Nigeria’s educational institutions must also help citizens understand their rights and responsibilities from an early age.
“Schools should actively promote civic awareness to enable students participate meaningfully in democratic processes,” he said.
Gai expressed optimism about future collaboration with civil society organisations and pledged continued engagement to advance shared reform objectives.
The organisers commended Elixir Trust Foundation and Spaces for Change for convening what they described as a timely dialogue, emphasising that collaboration between security institutions and civil society remained essential to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic development.
