The Federal Government has approved the reorganization of the Nigeria Police with the creation of an additional department, five Zonal Commands and granting of full autonomy to the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB). The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba disclosed this in a statement recently in Abuja. He said the Federal Government also approved the decentralization of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (FCIID). Mba said the approvals were part of efforts to address the threats posed by the dynamics of crimes and full implementation of the Community Policing initiative in the country.
According to him, by this re-organization, the FIB, which was previously a section under the FCIID, is now a full-fledged department of the Force to be headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). He said with the new arrangement, the force now had eight departments and each headed by a DIG. Mba said the departments are: Finance and Administration, Operations, Logistics and Supply, Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Training and Development, Research and Planning, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Force Intelligence Department. He said with approval for the decentralization of the FCID, two additional offices would be established in Enugu and Gombe States. The FPRO said the Enugu office would take care of investigations of major crimes emanating from the South-East and South-South geo-political zones while the office in Gombe would take care of the North-East geo-political zone.
He said each of the annexes, in addition to the existing ones in Lagos and Kaduna states, would be headed by an AIG who would report to the DIG in charge of the FCID in the Headquarters. Mba said the creation of five new Zonal Command Headquarters in addition to the existing 12 brought the Zonal Command Headquarters to a total of 17 in the country. “The five new Zonal Commands are: Akure, for Ondo/Ekiti; Awka for Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi; Yenagoa for Bayelsa/Rivers; Maiduguri for Yobe/Borno and Katsina for Katsina/Kaduna. He said the Inspector General of Police (I-G) Mr Mohammed Adamu, commended President Muhammadu Buhari, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Police Council for the approval. The I-G said the reorganization would further bring policing closer to the people, improve response time to incidents across the country and promote efficiency in service delivery.
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It would be recalled that, in a related development, the former Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has said that the Nigeria Police Force requires additional 155,000 personnel to adequately provide security for the country. Idris, who disclosed this at a two-day National Security Summit in Abuja recently, said to achieve this, the force needed to recruit 31,000 annually for five years.
The theme of the summit is: Forging Partnership for Effective Strategies to Curb the Menace of Kidnapping, Recurring Farmers-Herders Clashes and Criminality in Nigeria. “To attain the UN ratio requirement of one police officer to 400 citizens of a country, the Nigeria Police Force needs to recruit 155,000 to police Nigerian population of approximately 182 million, “he said. Idris said that the police had not conducted recruitment into its rank and file cadre since 2011 until 2016 when the recruitment of 10,000 applicants was approved by the Federal Government.
He said that this development had left a huge gap in the manpower need of the force due to retirements, deaths and resignations. The police boss said that the proposal had been forwarded to the Federal Government for consideration. He added that inadequate funding, shortfall in power and training and retraining of personnel had been some of the challenges confronting the force. “Over the years, the Nigeria Police Force saddled with the responsibility of policing the country, has been grappling with fundamental challenges which tend to impede its performance, “he said.
The inspector-general said that the issue of funding of police had been critical to all past police panels, adding that it had yet to be critically addressed. He said that the Nigeria Police Force Reform Trust Fund bill before the National Assembly since 2008 had yet to be passed. Idris called on members of the National Assembly to expeditiously pass the bill to address the challenge of funding for the police. “We solicit the support and understanding of the National Assembly to give an accelerated hearing to this bill to adequately position the police for better funding and performance,” he said. He said that the bill would further provide a legal framework that would outline the counterpart funding arrangement between the three tiers of government. Idris noted that when passed, the police would be funded through a first line charge on the federation account quarterly. He said that in spite of paucity of fund, the force in collaboration with other security agencies had been able to stabilize the polity. In a goodwill message, the Senate Committee Chairman on Police Affairs, Sen. Abu Ibrahim, said the senate would soon pass the bill. He said that the senate was committed to making laws that would impact positively on the development of the country. The summit was organized by the police in conjunction with Leadership Newspapers group ltd. and the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.
It is important to note that, Section 214. (1) Of the 1999 Nigerian constitution provides that:
There shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section no other police force shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof.
(2) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution –
(a) 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;
(b) The members of the Nigeria Police shall have such powers and duties as maybe conferred upon them by law;
(c) 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 harbours, waterways, railways and air fields.
The Police Act is an act to make provision for the organization, discipline, powers and duties of the police, the special constabulary and the traffic wardens. [1967 No. 41.] [1st April, 1943].
According to the Police Act, the duties of The police shall be the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged, and shall perform such military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them by, or under the authority of this or any other Act.
When it concerns public safety and public order as provided for in section 215 of the Constitution, The President may give to the Inspector-General such directions with respect to the maintaining and securing of public safety and public order as he may consider necessary, and the Inspector-General shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with. Similarly, the Commissioner of a State shall comply with the directions of the Governor of the State with respect to the maintaining and securing of public safety and public order within the State, or cause them to be complied with: (Provided that before carrying out any such direction the Commissioner may request that the matter should be referred to the President for his directions. The officer’s powers and duties are conferred by statute.
- A police officer has the power to conduct in person all prosecutions before any court, whether or not the information or complaint is laid in his name. (S.23 Police Act)
- A Police officer has the Power to arrest with or without warrant. S.24 Police Act)
- Power to search (S.28 Police Act)
- Power to detain and search suspected persons (S.29 Police Act)
- Power to take fingerprints
- Grant Bail of person arrested without warrant, with or without sureties, for a reasonable amount to appear before a magistrate at the day, time and place mentioned in the recognizance.
The Code of Conduct and Professional Standards for Police Officers is to provide all members for the Nigeria Police Force with a set of guiding principles and standards of behaviour while on or off-duty.
A Primary Responsibility of a Police Officer is to act as an official representative of government who is required and trusted to work within the law. The fundamental duties of a police officer include serving the community, safeguarding lives and property, protecting the innocent, keeping the peace and ensuring the rights of all to liberty, equality and justice; In performing duties, a police officer shall perform all duties impartially, without favour of affection or ill will and without regard to status, sex, race, religion, political belief or aspiration. All citizens will be treated equally with courtesy, consideration and dignity. They will conduct themselves both in appearance and composure, in such a manner as to inspire confidence and respect for the position of public trust they hold.
Discretion – a Police officer will use responsibly, the discretion vested in his position and exercise it within the law.
Use of Force – a police officer will never employ unnecessary force or violence and will use only such force in discharge of duty, as is reasonable in all circumstances.
Confidentiality – Whatever a police officer sees, hears or learns which is of a confidential nature, will be kept secret unless the performance of duty or legal provision requires otherwise.
Integrity – a police officer will not engage in acts of corruption or bribery, nor will an officer condone such acts by other police officers. The public demands that the integrity of police officers be above reproach.
Cooperation with other Police Officers and Agencies – Police officers will cooperate with all legally authorized agencies and their representatives in the pursuit of justice.
Personal Professional Capabilities – Police Officers will be responsible for their own standard of professional performance and will take every reasonable opportunity to enhance and improve their level or knowledge and competence.
*** Written by Jide Ayobolu.
