By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has announced CLEEN Foundation as winner of the 2019 Human Rights Award for its immense contributions in strengthening law enforcement agencies for the protection of human rights in Nigeria.
In an award ceremony hosted on Sunday, December 8 at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja, the Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Dr Benson Olugbuo, while receiving the award, dedicated it to all victims and survivors of human rights abuses in Nigeria from 1960 to 2019.
CLEEN Foundation is a non-governmental organization established in January 1998 that emerged in response to military dictatorship characterized by human rights violations and impunity by security officials and the need for improved service delivery to citizens.
The foundation has since grown to become a leading non-governmental organization in the area of public safety, security and accessible justice in Nigeria within the sub-region and the global spaces and is a member of key security networks across the continent.
With over 21 years of existence, the organisation, formerly known as the Centre for Law Enforcement Education in Nigeria, has contributed in improving the understanding and respect for human rights, eliminating social injustice, discriminatory attitudes and practices and enhanced access to justice.
In this regard, the foundation supported the establishment of the Gender Desk and Complaints Response Unit (CRU) of the Nigeria Police Force, and has partnered with the National Human Rights Commission and Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN) Foundation to organize public hearings on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The group has also pioneered the monitoring of the conduct of security agencies on election duty under her election security management project thereby strengthening the work of the Police Service Commission (PSC). It has also contributed in enhancing the human rights compliance of law enforcement officials through the organization of various human rights trainings.
It has contributed in promoting, protecting, defending, monitoring and reporting human rights violations by security officials in Nigeria. To this end, the foundation has pioneered a human rights project aimed at fostering civil-military relations in Nigeria. The initiative is also working in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Human Rights Desk and the Nigeria Army Call Centre (193) to improve Army’s compliance to human rights in Nigeria.
As part of its efforts in improving security sector accountability and human rights compliance in countering violent extremism in Nigeria, CLEEN Foundation has been working with various state and non-state actors to enhance interagency coordination, collaboration and cooperation between the state and non-state actors in the North-East. CLEEN is also documenting rights violations by security actors in different parts of the country.
Honoured as the first African based non-profit organization to win the MacArthur Foundation award for creative and effective institutions in 2006. It has also been awarded the Best e-Governance Project 2016 Award (National Information Technology Development Agency-Nihilent e-Governance), Advocate of Peace and Social Justice Award 2016, The Best NGO in ICT Deployment 2016 Award (National Information Technology Development Agency -Nihilent e-Governance) and the University of Lagos Human Rights Advocacy and Partnership Award 2019.
In addition, CLEEN Foundation has Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in Banjul, The Gambia.
The foundation is headquartered in Abuja, with branch offices in Lagos, Owerri and Benin City.
Modupe Gbadeyanka