The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ondo State, Mr. Oluyemi Ibiloye, has called on security operatives to uphold the rights and dignity of citizens in the discharge of their duties. He made the call on Monday in Akure during a one-day capacity building workshop focused on human rights and law enforcement.

The training, themed “Building a Culture of Rights and Responsibility,” was organised by the NSCDC in collaboration with the Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC), Akure, and the Kimpact Development Initiative.

Addressing participants, Ibiloye reminded officers that their responsibility goes beyond enforcing the law—it includes doing so with fairness, compassion, and respect for human dignity.

“We are not above the law,” he said firmly. “There are both local and international frameworks guiding how we engage with citizens. Any officer caught violating these standards will face disciplinary action.”

He noted that while cases of human rights abuse have reduced in recent times, more still needs to be done to completely eliminate such incidents.

“Our goal is to ensure no citizen feels unsafe in the hands of security agents,” he added. “You don’t need to intimidate or humiliate anyone to do your job.”

Also, Mr Wilfred Afolabi, Commissioner of Police in the state, applauded NSCDC for the initiative, and said the training would enable the security personnel refrain from, or fall victims of human rights violation.

“Training and retraining of personnel is essential, especially when we are talking about human rights and we must see that our personnel have respect for it,” Afolabi said.

In his remarks, Dr Samuel Ibitoye, FRSC State Sector Commander, charged the personnel “to protect and not to kill whenever they are enforcing laws”.

“You are to protect, not to violate the laws. And we must exercise caution whenever we are to arrest and not to violate a person’s human rights,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Kayode Ajulo, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, who commended the NSCDC and other security agencies for upholding law and order in the state, charged them to work for integrity.

According to him, security agencies should know that whatever they are doing, what matters most, even in respect of emergency, the fundamental human rights of people must be brought to premium.

“For us to have a great state and country, professionalism, the code of conduct, the standard of practicing and engagement must be followed.

“The constitution stipulates that there is right to life, dignity of person, personal liberty, and freedom from discrimination, but these rights are not suspended at checkpoints, during emergencies or interrogation.

“So, whether you are at a checkpoint or other places, that right must be protected.