Police, Media must rebuild trust to strengthen democracy — RULAAC

Cyprian Ajah, Enugu

Effective policing in a democracy depends largely on public trust, and that trust is shaped by how law enforcement institutions interact with citizens and the media, the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, has said.

Nwanguma stated this while delivering a paper titled “Building trust between the media and the police: Setting the context for gender-responsive policing under the Police Act 2020” at a One-Day Police and Media Dialogue Session held at Enugu.

The event brought together senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force, media practitioners, civil society organisations, and development partners to discuss strategies for improving police accountability, media relations, and gender-responsive policing.

Nwanguma described the dialogue as timely, noting that the relationship between the police and the public in Nigeria remains fragile due to long-standing issues of brutality, corruption, and weak accountability systems.

He said public trust is the foundation of effective policing, stressing that without trust, policing becomes coercive rather than protective.

According to him, most citizens do not form their understanding of policing from policy documents but from personal experiences and media reporting, making the media a central player in the policing ecosystem.

Nwanguma emphasised that the media is neither an enemy nor a public relations arm of the police, but a constitutional institution responsible for informing the public and holding power accountable.

He warned that while responsible journalism can promote understanding of reforms and strengthen accountability, sensational reporting can inflame tensions and spread misinformation.

He also cautioned that harassment or intimidation of journalists undermines press freedom and damages police credibility, while unverified reporting can weaken public confidence in institutions.

Nwanguma concluded that rebuilding trust between the police, media, and citizens is a shared responsibility.
He urged stakeholders to commit to professionalism, accountability, dialogue, and mutual respect.

According to him, without public trust, policing cannot succeed, and without trust between the police and the media, public trust itself cannot grow.