According to the Higher Commissioner of Nigeria in Canada, the Nigerian Police Force has a Nigerian Public Relations Unit with headquarters in Abuja (8 Dec. 1998). Every state in Nigeria has a Police Commissioner and each Commissioner has a person assigned who is responsible for public relations, which involves responding to questions or issues from the public. The High Commissioner said that there is also a separate Public Complaints Commission outside of the Nigerian Police Force, which deals with complaints from the public involving the public service as a whole.

The Director of Common Cause Canada-Nigeria, a non-profit development and cultural organization, said that he was aware of a public relations unit within the Nigerian Police Force but could not confirm whether its name referred to a unit or a bureau (8 Dec. 1998). He explained that the police force's public relations section deals with both public education and investigating complaints involving the Nigerian Police Force. In regard to the handling of complaints by the public relations section, he said "generally they're supposed to be a friendly face." He explained that their public education activities involve making the public aware of concerns such as missing cars. He said that most government headquarters had moved from Lagos to Abuja and that he assumed the public relations section had as well. He could not confirm whether the section has branch offices. The Director also confirmed the existence of a Public Complaints Commission outside of the Nigerian Police Force.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) in Lagos also spoke about a section within the Nigerian Police Force that deals with public relations and complaints (8 Dec. 1998). He could not confirm the precise name of the section, but did say that it was known as a bureau. He stated that it was responsible for investigating complaints, but, in his view, is not effective. He said that people are generally afraid of lodging complaints with the police. He claimed that it was only when there were "banner headlines", or the killing of prominent people, that police conduct investigations.

Post Express refers to "the state bureau of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC)" as receiving a donation from the Zamfara State government (25 June 1998), while on 1 May 1997 the same publication stated "detective and surveillance units of the state Criminal Investigation Department, A22, Provost Marshall Department and the Public Complaints Bureau of the command have been directed to fish out those involved in extorting money from members of the public or engaging in other fraudulent malpractices."

Information on when the public relations section was created or its head could not be found in sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Lagos. 8 December 1998. Telephone interview with the National Publicity Secretary.

Common Cause Canada-Nigeria, Ottawa. 8 December 1998. Telephone interview with the Director.

Nigerian High Commission [Ottawa]. 8 December 1998. Telephone interview with the High Commissioner.

Post Express [Lagos]. 25 June 1998. Doye Dappa. "Zamfara Donates Car, N200,000 to Complaints Bureau." [Internet] www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 4 Dec.. 1998]

Post Express [Lagos]. 1 May 1998. Frank Oshanugor. "Two Robbers Shot Dead by Gallant Doctor." [Internet] www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 4 Dec.. 1998]

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa South of the Sahara 1997. 1996.

The Europa World Year Book 1998. 1998.

Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. May 1992. The Nigerian Police Force: A Culture of Impunity. New York, NY: Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.

World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Penal Systems. 1989..

Worldwide Government Directories with International Organizations. 1996.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD, World News Connection (WNC).

Three non-documentary sources contacted did not provide information on the requested subject.