CEHRAWS demands Rights-based, Community-Inclusive Policing from Otti
Press statement…
The Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) has acknowledged and commended what it described as “the thoughtful, broad-spectrum address delivered by His Excellency, Dr. Alex C. Otti, OFR, Governor of Abia State, at the Security Trust Fund Luncheon held on July 10, 2025, at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.”
Governor Otti’s articulation of security as a “shared responsibility” aligns with CEHRAWS’ long-standing advocacy for inclusive, community-anchored and rights-based security approach. We affirm the importance of multi-stakeholder contributions to building and sustaining safe, peaceful communities, and commend the State Government’s move to institutionalise security financing through the Abia State Security Trust Fund Law (2024).
The speech, in its tone and substance, demonstrates a marked departure from the militarised rhetoric often used in discussing insecurity. Rather, it balances lawful force with social interventions, economic reforms and civic engagement, a progressive shift that speaks to a people-centred and preventive model of security management.
OUR OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Towards Inclusive Policing and Human Rights Safeguards
CEHRAWS commends the State Government’s ongoing efforts to reform security architecture and urges the operationalisation of accountability mechanisms within all supported security formations, particularly the Homeland Security Office and joint operations under “Operation Crush.”
We call on the Governor to ensure that civil liberties and due process are fully respected during security operations. Excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, and illegal detentions, even in the name of safety, erode public trust and often breed resentment and radicalisation. Therefore, we strongly advocate for the establishment of a Civilian Oversight Board under the Security Trust Fund framework to monitor operations and handle complaints from citizens.
- Community Participation in Security Strategy
The Governor correctly noted that security is not about arms alone, and CEHRAWS believes that public participation must be institutionalized, not just encouraged in local policing strategies. This includes but is not limited to:
✓ Local Security Advisory Councils at LGA and Ward levels;
✓ Regular public forums and safety audits;
✓ Structured integration of vigilante groups under a regulatory and human rights framework.
These structures will ensure that intelligence gathering is not based on profiling or fear, but on trust and mutual accountability between security agencies and the communities they serve.
- Technology, Intelligence and Privacy Rights
The Governor’s pledge to invest in real-time crime tracking and technology-enabled security systems is commendable. However, CEHRAWS insists that robust data privacy laws and digital rights safeguards must be developed alongside these innovations. Technology must be used to protect the people, not monitor or suppress them.
We therefore recommend:
✓ Legislative action to define data protection protocols for security systems;
✓ Periodic audits of surveillance operations;
✓ Mandatory training for all security personnel on digital ethics and citizens’ rights.
- Security as a Function of Social Justice
We note with satisfaction the Governor’s emphasis on job creation, youth employment, education reform, and environmental renewal as part of his holistic approach to security. These steps resonate deeply with CEHRAWS’ philosophy that economic and social injustice are key drivers of insecurity.
We urge that more targeted programmes be rolled out for at-risk youth, ex-offenders, and communities historically underserved or subjected to abuse by law enforcement agents. Peacebuilding is more sustainable when rooted in dignity, opportunity, and social equity.
- Police Reform and Training
CEHRAWS seizes this opportunity to call for renewed investment in police reform within Abia State, even though policing is a federal mandate. We urge the State Government to:
✓ Support continuous human rights education for police officers and other security personnel;
✓ Fund the training of community policing units with emphasis on restorative justice, non-violent conflict resolution, and gender sensitivity;
✓ Promote inter-agency synergy that respects jurisdictional limits and reduces overlap, abuse, or confusion during joint operations.
Our Final Word
Governor Otti’s security vision, as laid out in his July 10 address, is timely and commendable. But beyond funding, we call for a civic culture of transparency, fairness, and inclusiveness in its implementation.
Security must never become a tool for elite protection alone or a justification for unchecked state power. It must be anchored on justice, guided by law, and accountable to the people.
CEHRAWS stands ready to partner with the Abia State Government in the actualisation of this vision and will continue to monitor, report, and engage constructively to ensure that security in Abia is truly for the people, by the people, and with the people.
“A secure society is not built on silence or fear, but on justice, trust, and inclusion.”
Signed:
Okoye, Chuka Peter
For: CEHRAWS
Email: cehraws@gmail.com | Tel: +234-803-552-9865.
