“End Contradictory Statements on Police Misconduct Reports Circulating Online”- Activist to IGP

A human rights activist, Com­rade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. Kayode Egbe­tokun, to stop double-talking to Nigerians over report of Police misconduct on social media, say­ing that the Police boss rolled out social media platforms to report the Police conduct upon assump­tion of office in order to bring the needed integrity to the Force…CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶

Reacting to the recent state­ment of the police boss who warned Nigerians against report­ing police misconduct on social media platforms, Sulaiman insist­ed that the same Dr. Egbetokun, through the Police Spokesperson, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, released the Police social media handles to report the misconduct of men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Sulaiman, who is also Exec­utive Chairman, Centre for Hu­man Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), urged the IGP not to succumb to the pressure of some corrupt elements in the Force to cover the corrupt practices of some officers of the Nigeria Po­lice Force.

According to the statement released by the CHRSJ’S Media Office on Friday, quoting CHRSJ boss stated that the emergency of new media which brought about social media had helped the citi­zens in exposing the evil acts of some elements in the country.

He added that the introduction of social media in the nation had brought more advantages to our faulty policing system, particular­ly in exposing unprofessional con­duct of policemen and women.

Sulaiman, also Convener, Save Lagos Group (SLG), disclosed that but for the emergence of so­cial media, some elements in the Police would have destroyed the image of the force, advising the IGP to ensure the training and retraining of the men and officers of the Nigeria Police to conduct themselves professionally in line with international best practices.

He said: “The IGP is a very dutiful and professional police of­ficer and since he came on board as Inspector General of Police has been trying to ensure that men and women of the police conduct themselves professionally in per­forming their official duties.

He lamented that some bad eggs in the force had continued with their unprofessional con­duct, stressing that reporting of their conduct to the public through social media had checked this category of officers from fur­ther bringing stigma to the Police Force,” Sulaiman submitted.

Penultimate Monday, Egbe­tokun had advised Nigerians to refrain from using social media to report the conduct of police officers, but directed such com­plaints to the Police Complaints Response Unit.

Egbetokun, who spoke at the PPROs/Police Communication Experts’ Conference in Asaba, Delta State, stressed that the use of social media to address griev­ances often has led to misinforma­tion and undermined the integri­ty of the force.

“We appeal to the public not to resort to social media when reporting the conduct of police officers, but rather use the Police Complaints Response Unit,” Eg­betokun said.

He stressed that such plat­forms provide a more structured and accountable process to ad­dress complaints, acknowledg­ing the role social media plays in shaping public opinion, even as he warned that unverified informa­tion could create false perceptions.