FCT, Lagos Head National List of Complaints Against Police

FCT and Lagos accounted for 42 % of nationwide complaints against police in 2023.
Professional misconduct and extortion were most frequent allegations.
Over 1,100 complaints remain unresolved by the CRU.

The Complaint Response Unit (CRU) of the Nigeria Police Force has revealed that the highest number of grievances against police personnel in 2023 were lodged in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Lagos State.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that out of a total of 1,234 complaints filed nationwide, 276 emanated from the FCT and 252 from Lagos – together accounting for 42 per cent of all reports. Other states followed with significantly lower figures, including Rivers (96), Delta (67), Abia (60), Imo (50), and Edo (47).

The gender breakdown shows men filed 84 per cent of complaints, women 13 per cent, and 3 per cent did not specify gender. In terms of nature, professional misconduct tops the list with 616 cases, extortion 228, and abuse of power 138, among other categories such as demanding money for bail (78), excessive use of force (44), inaction (38), incivility (28) and tampering with exhibits (6).

State/Zone	Number of Complaints	Percentage of Total (approx)
FCT	276	22.4 %
Lagos State	252	20.4 %
Other states combined	706	57.2 %
Total (nationwide)	1,234	100 %

The CRU further disclosed that of the 1,234 complaints, only 69 have been officially resolved, while 16 were closed for withdrawal, lack of cooperation or irrelevance; a staggering 1,145 remain pending.

The heavy concentration of complaints in FCT and Lagos highlights both the extent of citizen-police interaction in those densely populated centres and the pressure on law enforcement to improve discipline and responsiveness. The CRU reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability and urged citizens to utilise its channels to report misconduct.