Nigeria, Feb. 7 -- For decades, encounters with the Nigerian police were governed more by fear than by law. Arrests without explanation, detention for civil debts, denial of bail and searches based on appearance were widely seen as normal. That reality, experts say, is no longer permitted by the new law.

The Police Act 2020 fundamentally altered the rules of engagement between citizens and law enforcement by introducing enforceable rights, strict timelines for detention and formal accountability mechanisms.

Yet, as a recent town hall meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, revealed, many Nigerians remain unaware that the balance of power has legally shifted.

It was this gap between law and real-life experience that Partners West A...