ABUJA — Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has pledged to strengthen the training and retraining of police officers on how to appropriately engage and interact with persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Disu made the commitment on Wednesday when he received a delegation led by Jake Epelle, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, at the Force Headquarters.
The delegation included Brenda Anyanwu, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund; Mayowa Aderibigbe, Executive Director; and Agaba Jacob, Chairman of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, alongside other disability and inclusion advocates.
The engagement focused on promoting disability-inclusive policing and strengthening the protection of persons with disabilities, who stakeholders identified as particularly vulnerable to crime, abuse and other forms of violence.
Epelle commended the police leadership for its efforts towards inclusive policing and called for a security architecture that deliberately reflects the needs, experiences and rights of persons with disabilities.
He also appealed to the IGP to support the proposed first Inclusive Security Summit, which is expected to receive funding from the European Union.
Speaking during the meeting, Jacob urged the police to move beyond viewing persons with disabilities solely as people requiring protection, stressing the need to recognise them as active participants in policing and security.
He noted that PWDs could contribute to areas such as intelligence gathering and other policing functions where their disabilities do not prevent them from performing effectively.
Jacob further drew attention to the heightened vulnerability of persons with disabilities to crime, including sexual and gender-based violence, and called for stronger measures to protect them.
Responding to the concerns, Disu described the engagement as an “eye-opener” and reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to developing a policing system that recognises the needs of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
The IGP pledged to enhance the capacity of police personnel through regular training and retraining, ensuring that persons with disabilities are treated appropriately, effectively and with dignity whenever they interact with the police.
The stakeholders also stressed the need for sustained collaboration among the police, disability organisations and other relevant institutions to make security services more accessible, inclusive and responsive to persons with disabilities across the country.
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