The Police Reform Secretariat disclosed that more than 1,939 operatives lacked adequate skills in investigation and human rights.

The Police Reform Secretariat (PRS) has revealed that over 1,939 operational police personnel lack skills in areas such as investigation, human rights, gender, use of force, ethical conduct, leadership, trauma management, and community policing.

The Secretariat, in a statement on Monday, also disclosed that it has trained no fewer than 233 future police leaders as part of a strategic effort to build a capable and confident leadership pipeline.

This, it said has been supported by a tailored women’s leadership mentoring programme within the Gender Unit, benefiting 95 female officers.

Revealing that police training schools and departments including legal, ICT, and medical units have received infrastructure upgrades and equipment support, the PRS stated that solar energy systems were installed to ensure a reliable, renewable power supply, benefiting approximately 140,000 police personnel and six million community members across 16 states, including the FCT.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Police Reform Secretariat, Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, said that the training of police personnel and leaders is at the heart of police reform in the country.

He also revealed that the Secretariat has concluded the review of the police training curriculum, to bring it up to speed with the latest trends.

Speaking at a media parley with crime correspondents in Abuja on Monday, Prof. Ogunsakin said: “The other thing for us is the curriculum development that we are doing now. When we talk of police reform, we need to understand that reform starts with training.

“We met in Lagos about two months ago to review the entire curriculum, to take out those things that are no longer relevant in today’s policing. We also constituted a group of experts who have studied the curriculum and fine-tuned it.

“In three weeks’ time, they will be inviting police trainers who will first be trained to train others. The process will continue across the geo-political zones.”

Noting that the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve stands at a crossroads, Prof. Ogunsakin said the time has come for honest conversations, meaningful action, and comprehensive police reform.

He said: “PRS believes that police reform requires collaboration from all stakeholders — law enforcement agencies, community members, elected officials, advocacy groups, and the media.

“We believe in creating a system where the NPF has the tools and support they need to succeed, and where communities feel safe and respected.

“We know that the type of reform we seek will not happen overnight, but it must begin today. It has begun. It is a process — and we can say there is progress.”

He said that the primary goal of establishing the PRS is to strengthen policy coherence, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement and coordination in Nigeria’s police reform efforts.

He outlined its four specific mandates to include: “Institutional coordination; Sustained implementation; Policy and technical advisory support, as well as transparency and accountability.

Prof. Ogunsakin explained that it will reinforce public trust by institutionalizing oversight, ensuring adherence to human rights standards, and enhancing responsiveness to citizens’ security needs. (AriseNews TV)