By Damilola Abiola
Abeokuta, Ogun State – The Hall of Care and Good Humanitarian Initiative (HCHI), with support from Power of Pride (COC-Netherlands), has trained law enforcement officers in Ogun State on survivor-centered and rights-based policing to improve safety for women and girls while strengthening police–community relations.
The one-day workshop, held on August 7, 2025, at The Bunkers Hall, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, brought together officers from the Nigeria Police Force, NDLEA, Amotekun Corps, So-Safe Corps, TRACE, the National Human Rights Commission, and legal practitioners.
Facilitator Raphael Oyeniyi, Executive Director of The Momentum Support Initiative, said the training was timely given rising concerns over law enforcement abuse. “When you check social media today and see dehumanizing videos of law enforcement brutality, especially against young girls and women, you will agree with me that we need to bring out the best in our officers,” he noted. “Training like this re-orientates them with the right knowledge, tactics, and approach to handling arrests, and it helps portray Nigeria’s justice system in a better light.”
HCHI’s Program Officer, Rita Benson Tonie, who co-facilitated the workshop, emphasized that the initiative was informed by research showing wide gaps in officers’ preparedness to handle cases involving adolescent girls and women.
“Many officers have no formal training on how to deal with adolescent girls and women,” she explained. “That’s why we deliberately brought participants from the police, NDLEA, Amotekun, TRACE, NSCDC, forest guards, and even the Nigerian Bar Association to bridge this gap.”
Some participants described the workshop as transformative. Sunday, a mobile police officer from Zone 2, Abeokuta, said he learned new approaches to arrests. “I’ve re-learned so much today, especially about handling arrests,” he said.
The NDLEA Commander for Abeokuta South, Mrs. Eucharia Ekwu added: “I look forward to applying these trainings, and I will also step down the re-orientation to my junior officers so these new standards become part of our operations.”
By aligning with Nigeria’s Constitution, the Police Act, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, and the Child Rights Act, HCHI believes the training is a step toward building more inclusive, community-oriented, and accountable policing across Nigeria.