• Lawyer alleges unlawful arrests, torture, extortion persist
• Okeke seeks separation of AG, Justice Minister’s offices
• Nwobi demands shift from colonial policing mentality
• Lawyers call for better training, recruitment, faster justice

Six years after the #EndSARS protests forced police brutality into the national spotlight, Nigeria’s policing system remains burdened by allegations of unlawful arrests, torture, extortion and excessive use of force.

Despite a new Police Act, revised regulations and fresh training initiatives, the reforms have yet to bring about the fundamental change in police-citizen relations demanded by protesters in October 2020.

The protests were driven largely by demands to end abuses associated with the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), including allegations of arbitrary arrests, extortion, torture and extrajudicial killings. The protests eventually evolved into a broader demand for police accountability and better governance.

The Federal Government subsequently disbanded SARS and announced a series of measures aimed at reforming policing.

One of the most significant developments was the enactment of the Police Act 2020, which replaced the 1943 Police Act. The legislation established accountability and transparency, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, professionalism, community partnership and responsiveness to the public as core principles of policing.

The Act also provides for a Police Complaints Response Unit (CRU) at Force Headquarters and in commands across the states and the Federal Capital Territory. The unit is empowered to receive complaints about police misconduct, including allegations involving death, serious injury or other gross human rights violations.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has also retained its role in receiving complaints against police personnel and handling disciplinary matters.

The commission said inadequate funding remained a major constraint on its ability to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities regarding police recruitment, promotion, and discipline.

The Nigeria Police Force said it had developed a new training curriculum to replace the model it had used for the previous 28 years and improve the quality of policing in the country. The programme includes more practical training and prepares officers to respond to crimes involving technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

The reform process entered another phase with the gazetting of new Nigeria Police Regulations.

The Federal Ministry of Police Affairs said the regulations were designed to provide a contemporary operational framework, strengthen disciplinary and oversight mechanisms, improve training, recruitment and career progression, and reinforce human rights standards.

The police similarly described the regulations as providing a framework for professional, accountable and rights-based policing, promising to integrate them into training and operational structures.

However, the existence of new laws and regulations does not, by itself, resolve the challenges of police reform. The gap between the legal framework and citizens’ lived experiences therefore remains one of the biggest challenges confronting the reform agenda.

The persistence of allegations of police abuse since #EndSARS has continued to raise questions about accountability.

This year, Amnesty International alleged that officers attached to the Tiger Base anti-kidnapping unit of the Imo State Police Command were involved in extrajudicial killings, torture, ill-treatment of detainees and extortion.

The organisation said its investigation uncovered allegations that detainees were taken from their cells and killed, while others were allegedly tortured to extract confessions.

Such allegations do not establish that the entire Nigeria Police Force operates in this manner, but they illustrate why accountability remains central to the debate on police reform.

The same challenge was evident during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests.

Amnesty International alleged that the police used excessive force against protesters, including live ammunition and tear gas. It also reported that at least 24 people were killed during demonstrations across several states.

The police and other authorities disputed aspects of the allegations.

These events were significant because they occurred years after #EndSARS and revived concerns about the policing of demonstrations and the use of force.

Unlawful arrests, torture persist, says lawyer
THE Convener of the Criminal Justice Network of Nigeria (CJNN), Nathaniel Ngwu, has said that unlawful arrests, torture, extortion and the use of excessive force remain concerns in police operations six years after the #EndSARS protests.

He warned that reforms would remain ineffective unless the Nigeria Police Force embraced and implemented them in its daily operations.

Ngwu said the failure to translate reform policies into operational practices, coupled with corruption, inadequate funding, poor training and weak accountability mechanisms, had continued to undermine efforts to transform the police into a service that protects citizens’ rights.

According to him, meaningful reform must begin within the police institution, with officers accepting the need for change and applying existing legal provisions in their interactions with members of the public.

“From the look of things, the reforms have not been integrated into the system and operations. It is only written on paper,” he said.

Ngwu identified inadequate funding as one of the major obstacles to effective policing, arguing that many police stations lacked the resources required to conduct investigations and perform other essential duties.

He said some officers lacked operational vehicles and basic writing materials, leaving police stations dependent on public funds to sustain their operations.

According to him, complainants were sometimes expected to provide money to facilitate investigations and arrests, a practice he said undermined the independence of police investigations and created opportunities for extortion.

“If a complaint is made, and it is not thoroughly investigated by the police independently, the truth can never be seen from the whole process,” he said.

The lawyer cited cases in which disputes between neighbours had allegedly led to police intervention and arrests, describing such incidents as evidence of the continued use of coercive practices in matters that could be handled differently.

He said the practice of arresting people accused by complainants without adequately considering the circumstances raised concerns about the protection of citizens’ rights and the exercise of police powers.

Ngwu also identified the continued extraction of confessional statements through intimidation as evidence that excessive force remained a challenge in police operations.

He noted that courts sometimes conduct trials within trials to determine whether confessional statements were obtained voluntarily, arguing that such proceedings underscored the need to address allegations of coercion during police investigations.

On training, he criticised what he described as the unequal distribution of training opportunities, saying officers who interacted directly with citizens at checkpoints and during investigations should receive regular human rights training.

He argued that training should not be restricted to officers in administrative positions while those responsible for field operations lacked adequate exposure to human rights standards.

Ngwu called for compulsory and regular training for operational officers, including investigators and those responsible for taking statements, to improve compliance with the law.

He also advocated a system through which officers who received specialised training could apply their knowledge in their postings and share it with colleagues.

The lawyer further questioned the effectiveness of existing police accountability mechanisms, asking who would ensure compliance when police authorities failed to implement court orders against them.

He called for independent mechanisms to monitor police conduct and ensure the enforcement of judgments against the police, including orders requiring financial compensation for victims.

Ngwu also urged the authorities to ensure the effective implementation of legislation prohibiting torture, arguing that legal provisions would have little impact without appropriate consequences for violations.

Okeke seeks separation of AG, Justice Minister’s offices
THE Managing Partner of Chris Okeke & Co., Mr Chris Okeke (SAN), called for the separation of the offices of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice as part of reforms to address police brutality and improve access to justice in Nigeria.

Okeke said the current arrangement placed excessive responsibilities on the occupants of the two offices, undermining their ability to ensure that Nigerians obtained justice when they needed it.

He identified police brutality as a major obstacle to access to justice, arguing that victims often faced the same institutional and structural barriers confronting other Nigerians, including poverty, ignorance of their rights and inadequate enforcement of existing laws.

According to him, police brutality occurs when the police, as an institution, exceed their powers and further prevent victims from accessing remedies for the violations they suffer.

He said the problem was compounded by some citizens’ inability to challenge violations due to a lack of financial resources to pursue justice, while others were unaware of their rights.

Okeke also identified gaps in existing laws and the poor implementation of available legal provisions as factors undermining efforts to protect citizens from police excesses.

Citing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), he pointed to provisions requiring magistrates to visit police divisions within their jurisdictions at specified intervals.

He explained that the visits were intended to ensure that police officers exercised their powers appropriately and that magistrates intervened where necessary.

However, he noted reports of instances in which police officers had failed to cooperate with magistrates, raising concerns about the implementation of safeguards designed to prevent abuse.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also called for reforms to the process of appointing the Inspector General of Police (IGP), insisting that the current arrangement did not serve the best interests of Nigerians.

He further identified police recruitment as another critical area requiring reform, stressing the need to scrutinise recruitment procedures and the personal qualities expected of officers.

According to him, the reform process should consider police officers’ temperament, training, background and upbringing, given the implications of these factors for their conduct and relationships with citizens.

Okeke also raised questions about accountability, asking who policed the police, a concern he said should form part of efforts to address misconduct within the force.

He maintained that these institutional and operational challenges ultimately affected access to justice for ordinary Nigerians, particularly those who lacked the resources to challenge abuses of power.

Nwobi seeks end to colonial policing mentality, faster justice delivery
PRINCIPAL Partner at Tower of David Solicitors & Advocates, Chuks Nwobi, called for fundamental reforms in the Nigeria Police Force, including a shift from colonial-era policing attitudes to a service-oriented culture, improved recruitment standards, faster justice delivery and greater accountability for officers accused of misconduct.

Nwobi said effective police reform required more than legislation, stressing that institutional culture, professional discipline and the enforcement of existing laws were critical to addressing abuses of police powers.

Assessing the challenges confronting policing and access to justice, he said elements of the colonial policing mentality, which emphasised control, coercion and suppression, remained embedded in law enforcement institutions.

According to him, policing in a constitutional democracy must be built around protecting citizens, upholding the law and respecting fundamental rights.

“We must move away from a force mentality to a service mentality,” he said, adding that the language and institutional identity of policing should reflect professionalism, integrity, accountability and service to the public.

Nwobi identified delays in the administration of justice as another major obstacle, noting that congested courts and slow proceedings often discouraged citizens from seeking legal redress.

He argued that serious human rights cases, particularly those involving unlawful detention, torture and police brutality, should receive accelerated judicial attention.

He proposed a timeline of three to six months for determining such cases, subject to constitutional requirements for a fair hearing.

He also called for measures to discourage unnecessary adjournments and urged a review of the workload and jurisdiction of appellate courts.

Specifically, the lawyer proposed limiting the Supreme Court’s role to questions of national importance, constitutional interpretation and issues with significant public consequences. He argued that matters that can be effectively resolved at lower appellate levels should not unnecessarily burden the apex court.

On public awareness, Nwobi said citizens who lacked knowledge of their rights were more vulnerable to abuse by law enforcement officers.

He maintained that laws prohibiting unlawful arrest, torture, extortion and arbitrary detention would have limited impact without effective investigations and appropriate sanctions for proven misconduct.

“Where there is a genuine complaint supported by evidence, the offending officer must be identified, investigated and, if liable, sanction must be undiscriminatorily applied,” he said.

He added that institutional accountability would remain weak if individual officers believed that proven misconduct would carry no meaningful consequences.

Nwobi urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to sustain its advocacy for access to justice, professional standards and adequate remuneration for legal services.

While describing the development of a remuneration framework for legal practitioners as a positive step, he said the delivery of legal services required continuous review and improvement.

The lawyer further called for sustained public legal education, arguing that citizens needed to understand their fundamental rights and obligations, as well as the institutions available to protect them.

On police recruitment, Nwobi said reform should begin with the selection of officers who demonstrated sound judgement, integrity, discipline and psychological suitability.

He argued that police officers were products of society and that recruitment processes that failed to adequately assess character and competence could contribute to institutional problems.