11. An Examination of the Activity Profile of the Nigerian Police Force

Sadiq Isah Radda

Nigeria operates a federal system of government with three tiers of governance, namely, Local, State, and Federal. Despite this Federal arrangement, the country has only one police force that operates at the federal level, with subsidiary operations at the State and Local governmental levels. Hence, there is no State or Local Police Force in Nigeria, as is the case in many nations operating a Federal system of government.

The challenges of maintaining law and order are as old as humanity. This is why policing, in one form or another, has been the hallmark of civilizations. Prior to the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates to form today’s Nigeria; the pre-colonial Nigerian societies had one form of policing or the other (Ahire, 1986,1993,1991; Flint, 1981). The creation, maintenance, and strengthening of the Nigeria Police Force does not detract from the well-known philosophy of maintaining law and order in society (Odekunle, 1986, 2000). However, the fact remains that the current Nigeria Police Force is a product of the country’s colonial history, a history in which main goal was the subjugation of the indigenous population to the needs of the then colonial order. This explains the Nigeria Police Force’s easy and quick affiliation to force rather than service.

Today, the Nigeria Police Force suffers from “colonial hangover,” basing its activity on the use of force, serving the establishment, and being seized and dominated by the maintenance of law and order syndrome. Attempts to replace “Force” with “Service” in the police nomenclature has met with resistance within the police establishment in Nigeria, further showing its subservient nature and coercive inclination.

This chapter examines the activity profile of the Nigeria Police Force, past and present. The chapter is divided into seven sections. The first section looks briefly at the history of the Nigeria Police Force. The second section examines the reforms experienced by the Nigeria Police Force. The third section focuses on the organizational structure of the Nigeria Police Force and a critique of the structure. The fourth section centers on the constitutional and statutory powers of the Nigeria Police Force. The fifth section assesses the activities of the Nigeria Police Force. The sixth section offers some recommendations for the effective performance of the Nigeria Police Force. The last final concludes the chapter.

A Brief History of the Nigeria Police Force

The Nigeria Police Force has its origins in Lagos in 1861 (Alemika, 1993). By that time, due to complaints by the consul about his numerous duties in Lagos and with the permission of the British Government, thirty men were enlisted into the Consular Guard. These thirty men were charged with assisting the acting consul by performing police duties. During an expeditionary journey to Jebba in 1863, Lieutenant R. N. Glover apprehended some escaping slaves who he later enlisted and formed the Hausa Police. The Consular Guards became an armed force of about six hundred and appeared to have been both military and civil in nature.

Lagos was initially administered as part of Gold Coast, now Ghana. The force, which was called Gold Coast Constabulary, was then controlled by Ordinance No. 3 of 1879. In 1894, there was also an existing force called Nigeria Coast Constabulary Police in charge of the creeks and aelta of the Niger area. On the 1st of January 1896, the Lagos Police Force was created, consisting of a Commissioner, two Assistant Commissioners, a Superintendent, an Assistant Superintendent, a Pay and Quarter master, a Master Tailor, and 250 rank and file. At that time, the Lagos Police Force operated in the Lagos area, while the Hausa constabulary operated in the Hinterland. The Force Criminal Investigation Department (Force C.I.D.) was formed in 1898 with one superintendent and 14 other ranks.

With the establishment of Oil River Protectorate, renamed Niger Coast Protectorate, with its headquarters in Calabar in 1893, the Niger Coast constabulary was formed in 1894. Subsequently, the Southern Nigeria Police Force formed in 1906; an Inspector General of Police, who was also in charge of prisons, commanded this force. The duties of the Southern Nigeria Police were the prevention and detection of crime, the repression of internal disturbances, and the defense of the colony and protectorate against external aggression.

In the North in 1886, the Royal Niger Company was created. This brought about the formation of the Royal Niger Constabulary or the Northern Nigeria Police with its headquarters at Lokoja. From there, they provided security for the company’s stations along the River Niger. However, the Constabulary was disbanded in 1900 and some ranks joined the Northern Nigeria Army while some formed the Northern Nigeria Police. In 1930, both the Northern and Southern Nigeria Police were amalgamated, forming the Nigeria Police with its headquarters in Lagos. The Nigeria Police was commanded by Mr. Duncan, who was then the Inspector General of Police.

In 1947, each region—East, West, and North—had an Assistant Commissioner in charge. In 1952, there was a new Constitution, which reestablished the Nigeria Police under the Command of an Inspector General of Police. Under the Nigeria Constitution, the Nigeria Police Force was established as a Federal force charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order throughout the Federation. Two bodies, namely the Police Council and the Police Service Commission, were also created by constitutional mandate. The former deals with general problems relating to the force, while the later takes charge of promotions and appointments in the senior ranks.

The present force has retained semi-military duties, which was responsible for Police duties in Nigeria. The then local governmental police were later converted into the Nigeria Police Force as follows:

• Mid-Western Region 1964-1965
• Western Region 1967-1969
• Northern Region 1969-1971

From 1972 to the present day, the Nigeria Police Force has been the only Police Force operating in the country.

The History and Role of the Police in Justice Administration

The word police is derived from the Greek word polis, which means that part of the non-ecclesiastical administration— a sort of separating the church from the state having to do with the safety, health, and order of the state (Ehindaro, 1998; Alemika, 2003; Asemota, 1993). Further, politeira refers to the art of governing and regulating the welfare, security needs, and order of the city-state in the interest of the public. Generally, it was in this context that the police evolved, even though all societies had their conception of what policing meant in security provision. Police in Hausa and Yoruba are called Dansanda olopa meaning “the man with the baton.” The Igbos call them Nndi afe oji meaning “those in black dresses.” It was the Romans who perfected the system of police, even though it was derived from Greek. The Roman politia (symbol of power residing in the Central Authority), due to its importance, connotes the same thing with the Greek politeira.

Available literature indicates that wherever police forces are found, they are mainly concerned with the maintenance of law and order, which may explain why earlier meanings of police included such limited activities as street paving and lighting, or scavenging and sanitation. In the Iddo district for instance, Ekiti division, the elegbe, controlled the police and prisons. The ilari (in Oyo), odi (in Ijebu) and emese (in Ife, Ijesha, and Ekiti) were to some Yoruba Obas what the Dogaris were to the Fulani rulers (Ehindero, 1998). Furthermore, in other communities of old Nigeria, there were similar organizations for the maintenance of law and order, though known by different local names (Bent, 1974).

Odekunle (2000) shares the above view when he asserts that the central objective of the police is to provide consistent security for a majority of the citizens in a majority of places. For him, the central objective can be broken down as follows:

• To prevent, control, and combat criminality wherever and by whomever;
• To maintain public order and peace;
• To render assistance and service to all citizens requiring these; and
• To favorably symbolize the law and the government by always upholding the rule of law.

This indicates that in the administration of justice, the police take center stage. The supposition causes writers on crime to posit that in the criminal justice process, the role of the police in the criminalization process is not always completed once an arrest has been made, because additional investigative work may be required and they may have to appear as witnesses to support their allegations.

After a suspect is arrested by the police, he comes under the purview and jurisdiction of the court that has the mandate, capacity, and obligation to decide on the exact correctness of the police decision to arrest. In the event that the case is to be prosecuted, it simply affirms the police suspicion. Any case that reaches this stage will turn out to be critical to the suspect and the criminal justice implementers because the processes involved touch on the suspects’ rights and liberty; also, serious decisions regarding bail, release, or remand of the suspect have to be made at this juncture. At stake here are the detainees and their expected deplorable conditions in detention in the face of an ineffective justice system in Nigeria, whose significance is not always acknowledged. However, Odekunle (2000) sees the significance of the police to society in the following way:

• They are government officials closest to crime, temporally and procedurally.
• They are the leading figures preventing /controlling crime and are involved in the processes of law enforcement.
• There are serious implications regarding citizen’s perception of fairness and justice, which very much depends on the police officer’s level of honesty, integrity, and observance of procedural rules while dealing with offenders and non-offenders alike. It also determines the kind of respect the average citizen has for the law.
• The police are highly visible compared to courts and prisons, and being the only government authority legally allowed to coerce citizens, their behavioral disposition affects citizens’ opinion about their government.

The Nigeria Police Force: Organizational and Command Structure

The Force Headquarters.

The Force headquarters of the Nigeria Police is situated in Abuja and is headed by the Inspector General of Police (IG) who is assisted by several Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (DIG). Before the restructuring of the police, the IG was assisted by only one DIG.

Structure of the Force Headquarters.

There are six force departments known as A, B, C, D, E, & F departments. Each is headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police and assisted by an Assistant Inspector General of Police.

• ‘A’ Department: It is responsible for the smooth running of the administration of the Force with regards to:
  • Personnel
  • Medical
  • Port-Authority
  • Police Force Public Relations
  • Central Band
  • Force Provost Marshal
• ‘B’ Department: This department is responsible for: operations and Training Veterinary, Air-wing Force Communication Transport, Force Armament E.O.D. Squadron (Emergency Operation Department). Marine Dog Section, Mounted Troop and Bomb Disposal.
• ‘C’ Department: Deals with Finance and Utilities of the Force as it relates to: Salary Section (MSS), Force Quarter Master Workshop Procurement, and Police Co-operative.
• ‘D’ Department: Deals with arrest, detention, investigation, prosecution and other services of the Force with regards to:
  • General Investigation
  • Interpol
  • Legal services
  • Anti-Fraud
  • Special Fraud Unit
  • Special Anti-Robbery Squad
  • Security Intelligence Bureau
  • Criminal Intelligence Bureau
  • Central Criminal Registry
  • Forensic Science Laboratory
• ‘E’ Department: Deals with Skill, Training and Manpower Development of the Force in the following Police training Institutions:
  • Police Staff College, Jos
  • Police Academy, Kano (POLAC)
  • Police College, Ikeja
  • Police College, Kaduna
  • Police College, Maiduguri
  • Police College, Oji River
  • Mounted Troops and Dog Handlers Schools, Jos
  • Junior Detective Course School, Enugu
  • Police Training Schools in each State Command
• ‘F’ Department: Deals with Reformation of the Force in Man-power Development and other Services in the area of:
  • Research
  • Statistics
  • Computerization

The 12 Zonal Commands.

There are 12 Zonal Commands of the Nigeria Police Force, with each headed by an Assistant Inspector General of Police and each Department is headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police.

• ZONE ONE: With the Headquarters in Kano, comprises the following states:
  • Kano
  • Katsina
  • Jigawa
• ZONE TWO: With Headquarters in Lagos, comprises the following states:
  • Lagos
  • Ogun
• ZONE THREE: With Headquarters in Yola, comprises the following states:
  • Adamawa
  • Gombe
  • Taraba
• ZONE FOUR: With Headquarters in Makurdi, comprises the following states:
  • Benue
  • Nassarawa
  • Plateau
• ZONE FIVE: With Benin as the Headquarters, comprises the following states:
  • Edo
  • Delta
  • Bayelsa
• ZONE SIX: With Headquarters in Calabar, comprises the following states:
  • Cross-River
  • Akwa Ibom
  • Abia
  • Rivers
• ZONE SEVEN: With Abuja as the Headquarters, comprises the following states:
  • Abuja Federal Capital Territory
  • Kaduna
  • Niger
• ZONE EIGHT: With Lokoja as the Headquarters, comprises of the following states:
  • Kogi
  • Ekiti
  • Ondo
• ZONE NINE: With Owerri as the Headquarters, comprises the following states:
  • Imo
  • Anambra
  • Enugu
  • Ebonyi
• ZONE TEN: With Sokoto as the Headquarters, comprises the following states:
  • Sokoto
  • Kebbi
  • Zamfara
• ZONE ELEVEN: With Ibadan as the Headquarters, comprises the following states:
  • Oyo
  • Osun
  • Kwara
• ZONE TWELVE: With Bauchi as the Headquarters, comprises the following states:
  • Bauchi
  • Borno
  • Yobe

State Commands.

Each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory is a command. Each Command is headed by Commissioner of Police, assisted by a Deputy Commissioner of Police.

A Critique of the Structure

The above structure suffers from setbacks thereby limiting its effectiveness. For example, the Nigeria Police Force ranks high in allegations of corruption, which has attracted a negative public perception to the force. The corruption in the Nigeria Police Force permeates the entire command structure. Additionally, tribal, regional, ethnic, and religious bigotry hamper the performance of the Nigeria Police Force. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and religiously and culturally diverse nation. The Nigeria Police Force draws its staff based on representations from the states to take care of these diverse concerns. However, the Nigeria Police Force is hampered by their consideration of these variables in dealing with cases.

Furthermore, language and cultural barriers arising from the nation’s diversity hampers the performance of the Nigeria Police Force when posted to terrains other than their home region. Therefore, proper communication between the police and locals becomes a challenge. The structure shows a great deal of centralization, thereby limiting swift and prompt action when the need arises. This becomes more problematic due to the vast size of the nation and dearth of working equipment to the Nigeria Police Force. This problem is compounded by inaccessibility of some parts of the country, coupled with poor modern communication technology for the Nigeria Police Force.

If the structure is to function properly, the corruption that gives the police its negative public perception must be vigorously fought. Further, subsequent to its jettisoning tribal, regional, ethnic, and religious bigotry in dealing with citizens, the force should be trained and retrained in order to professionalize it. Although the representation of the various states in the Nigeria Police Force is crucial, the training given to the recruits should show them the need to be a citizens’ police, not merely police to the people of their states of origin.

There is the need to ensure that all police recruits possess minimum literacy, which will allow them to communicate in the official language. In addition, adult literacy classes need to be mandated nationally to enable citizens to communicate properly with the police; further, the adult literacy program will enable the citizens to be instructed about their rights. A successful execution of the adult literacy program will bridge the language and cultural barriers limiting the performance of the Nigeria Police Force, as there will be proper communication between the police and locals.

In the long-run the structure needs decentralization to allow for swift and prompt action and the force requires enough working equipment to empower it to meet the daily challenges of law enforcement. In addition, the Force requires state of the art communication technology to access difficult parts of the country and to communicate with ease and swiftness.

The Nigeria Police Force: Constitutional and Statutory Powers

Section 214(1) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria establishes the Nigeria Police Force. It provides that there shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and it shall be subject to the provisions of this section. No other Police Force shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof. Section 214(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution provides that the Nigeria Police Force shall be organized and administered in accordance with such provisions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. Section 214(2)(b) provides that the members of the Nigeria Police Force shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred upon them by Law. Section 214(2) provides that the National Assembly may make provisions for branches of the Nigeria Police Force forming part of the armed Forces of the Federation or for the protection of harbors, waterways, railways, and airfields. Section 215(1) provides for the appointment of Inspector General of Police and control of Nigeria Police Force. It provides that:

• There shall be an Inspector General of Police who subject to Section 216(2) of the Constitution shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Police Council from among the serving members of the Nigeria Police Force.
• There shall be a Commissioner of Police for each State of the Federation who shall be appointed by the Police Service Commission.

Section 215(2) provides that the Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector General of Police and that the Nigeria Police Force stationed in a State shall be subject to the authority of the Commissioner of Police of that state. Section 215(3) provides that the President or such other Minister may give lawful directives to the Inspector General of Police with respect to the maintenance and security of public safety and public order, as he may consider necessary, and the Inspector General of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with. Section 216(4) provides that as in Section 216(3), the Commissioner of Police of a State shall comply with those directions from the Governor or cause them to be complied with in his State. Section 216(5) provides that the question whether any, and if so what, directions have been given under this section shall not be inquired into in any court.

Furthermore, another statutory enactment establishing the Nigeria Police Force is the Police Act cap. 359. The Police Act make provision for the organization, discipline, powers, and duties of the Police, the special constabulary, and the traffic warden. Section 10 of the Criminal Procedure Act provides the Nigeria Police Force with the powers of arrest. Under this section, any Police Officer may arrest:

• Any person who commits an offense in his presence.
• Any person for whose arrest a warrant of arrest has been issued or who he is directed to arrest by a Justice of the peace or Superior Police Officer.
• Any person who he reasonably suspects to be designing to commit an offense.
• Any person required to appear by public summons.
• Any person found taking precautions to conceal his presence in suspicious circumstances, or who, being found in suspicious circumstances, has no ostensible means of subsistence or cannot give a satisfactory account of himself.
• Any person who obstructs a Police officer while in the execution of his duty.
• Any person who has escaped or attempts to escape from lawful custody.
• Any person reasonably suspected of being a deserter from any Military force for the time being serving in Nigeria.
• Any person who has committed an offense or is accused of having committed an offense.
• Any person failing to obey a direction of the Governor.

By virtue of section 24(1) of the Police Act, in addition to the powers of arrest without warrant conferred upon a Police officer by section 10 CPA, it shall be lawful for any Police Officer and any person whom he may call to his assistance, to arrest without warrant in the following cases:

• any person who he finds committing any felony, misdemeanor, or simple offense or whom he reasonably suspects of having committed an offense or of being about to commit any felony, misdemeanor, or simple offense, or breach of the peace;
• any person who any other person charges with having committed a felony or misdemeanor; and
• any person who any other person
  • Suspects of having committed a felony or misdemeanor, or
  • Charges with having committed a simple offense.

Furthermore, by virtue of section 25 of the Police Act, any police officer may arrest an offender for whom a warrant of arrest has been issued without being in possession of such warrant of arrest. Section 26 of the Act also provides that any Police Officer may serve any summons lawfully issued by a court at any time during the hours of daylight. The Police power to grant bail to a person arrested is contained Section 27 of the Police Act. By virtue of section 28(1) of the Police Act, a Superior Police Officer is empowered to enter any house, shop, warehouse, or other premises in search of stolen property, and search therein and seize and secure any property he may believe to have been stolen, in the same manner as he would be authorized to do if he had a search warrant, and the property seized, if any, corresponded to the property described in such search warrant.

Section 29 of Police Act empowers any police officer to detain and search any person who he reasonably suspects of having in his possession or conveying in any manner anything that he has reason to believe to have been stolen or otherwise unlawfully obtained. By virtue of section 23 of the Police Act, subject to the provisions of sections 160 and 191 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, any police officer may conduct in person all prosecutions before any court whether or not the information or complaint is laid in his name.

An Assessment of the Activities of the Nigeria Police Force

Nigeria as a fast-developing country requires an efficient Police Force for the maintenance of peace and order in the country. The activities of the Nigeria Police Force can be gleaned from their general duties. The general duties of the Police as provided for the Police Act Section 4 include the following:

• The prevention and detection of crime;
• The apprehension of offenders;
• The preservation of law and order;
• The protection of life and property;
• The due enforcement of laws and regulations with which they are directly charged;
• The performance of such Military duties within or without Nigeria as may be required of them by or under the authority of the Police Act or any other Act;
• The preservation of the liberty of the subject; and
• The control and regulation of traffic.

There exists suspicion and negative public perception of the police by the average citizen. This is largely due to the fact that the police force is viewed as corrupt, unhelpful, unfair, and tortuous. Hence, they are burdened with a negative public image and negative publicity, which makes their work difficult. Not many Nigerians cooperate with or are willing to assist the police. However, it is worth noting that the task of policing is a serious matter and must be done in order to maintain a stable society. Below are some recommendations that will be useful to police performance and activity.

Conclusion

The Chapter examined the activity profile of the Nigeria Police Force and demonstrated that the country is yet to have a civil police capable of policing the country in an acceptable and decent manner. This is not unconnected with the colonial history of the Nigeria Police Force and its emphasis on maintaining the status quo under the guise of maintaining law and order. Available evidence indicates a number of weaknesses and shortcomings of the Nigeria Police Force, which culminated into series of reforms that yielded little positive results. Therefore, a well-thought-out reform program is necessary; one that will reinvent the psyche of the Nigeria Police Force, thereby purging it of its colonial mentality and conservative posture in favor of civil and people-oriented policing. This reformation is urgently required in an evolving democratic setting.

Recommendations for the Effective Performance of the Nigeria Police Force

In the administration of justice, the police are very important and progress in that regard can be achieved if their problems are addressed. As a result, a number of recommendations that should inform policing policy and the police in Nigeria can be given.

1. The police personnel who deal with the populace are under-educated and unprofessional. Therefore, they have to be exposed to the latest developments in modern policing. This can be achieved only where modern police training can expose the police to the demands of the profession. The training has to be geared towards the supremacy of the rule of law, the importance of the police to community service, and the status of citizens as beneficiaries of police work. In addition to their practical work, police training programs should emphasize knowledge of the local community and its sociocultural disposition. This will ensure that when matters arise, they are able to have intuition on the meaning and use of initiative and discretionary police powers.
2. The police force needs re-orientation so that rules regarding human rights, morality, ethics, and proper human relations are inculcated into the service. This re-orientation will empower them to handle reports or complaints brought to their attention in an efficient manner. When properly trained and empowered with professional skills, the police will make use only of necessary force in dealing with suspects and convicts in general; it will also empower them to respect the legal and constitutional rights of citizens.
3. In order to quickly dispose of cases, more police prosecutors at court sessions are required; hence, the number of police with the requisite legal expertise to prosecute cases in courts should be increased and appropriately rewarded. This will speed up cases and decongest prison and police cells.
4. The over-crowding experienced in Nigeria’s criminal justice system is usually promoted by prolonged detention awaiting trial. It is suggested that there should be an upper limit to the amount of time a suspect can spend on remand, after which a suspect should be tried or released. The prosecution should be able to prove its charge within the required time or the suspect gets unconditional release. This has the potential benefit of engendering quick police investigation and trial.
5. Highly significant in the administration of justice is crime prevention. In order to prevent crime properly, the police have to utilize the equipment and weapons supplied to them efficiently and effectively. This will serve as a preventive approach to crime commission capable of minimizing the potential for litigation and its attendant problems.
6. In Nigeria, it is being increasingly recognized that police complaints systems should contain a mixture of formal and less formal procedures. Recent changes to the system for handling complaints against the police in Nigeria envisage an expanded role for informal resolution, with a new range of options including community policing, since community policing when combined with conventional processes can achieve moderately better results (Mastrofski, 1995).

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