Restoring the dignity and functions of the police

Amidst the persistent abuse and deconstruction of police powers and functions, President Bola Tinubu has recently directed that police personnel assigned to VIP security duties should be withdrawn. The primary statutory functions of the police force, as stipulated in the Nigeria Police Act (as amended), are prevention, detection of crime, apprehension of offenders, preservation of law and order, protection of life and property, and the due enforcement of all laws for the benefit of the citizenry. The Nigeria Police Force (Establishment) Act, 2020, which came into force on the 17th of September 2020, has repositioned the Nigeria Police Force “to uphold and safeguard the fundamental rights of every person in Nigeria and to bring about a positive change in the public perception of the Police Force by ensuring that its functions are performed in a manner sensitive to the needs and well-being of the general public.”

President Tinubu’s new directive is commendable, and it should be enforced immediately. This is not the first time such a directive has been issued without execution. Previous directives from higher authorities withdrawing the police from VIPs were not executed. For example, in 2012, Mohammed Abubakar, the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), also gave the same directive, saying it is meant to bring about professionalism in their jobs. In 2016, ex-police boss, Solomon Arase, lamented that there were more pressing security challenges across the country than the attachment of officers to private individuals. In June 2023, it was reported that following the establishment of the 40,000-man Special Intervention Squad, the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, announced plans to withdraw Police Mobile Force personnel from VIP escort/guard duties. But the plans are not being executed.

Tinubu’s new directive should not go unheeded as the previous ones. Notably, the current Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, has revealed that the police high command will execute President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP security duties and to develop a community policing strategy, among others.

Nigerians look forward to the execution of the President’s directive. It is not the duty of the police to protect private persons or render personal services to private citizens. Unfortunately, our police officers, who are supposed to be detecting crimes and maintaining law and order for the common good and the benefit of all citizens, are now deployed to wealthy politicians, traditional rulers, senior military and paramilitary officers, wealthy businessmen, “yahoo” boys, and celebrities, as their personal orderlies, houseboys, bag carriers, ushers, house-helps, drivers, security agents, car washers, and so forth.

The situation is so bad that any “yahoo” small boy, who feels that he is a big man, can afford to recruit dozens of police officers to carry his bag, cook for him, or join his convoy of vehicles or retinue of security outfits. In a video that was in public circulation in May 2023, a Nigerian singer known as Spyro shared footage on his Twitter handle of an armed policeman assigned to him opening a car door for him. The video sparked outrage among many Nigerians who condemned the abuse of police functions.

In traffic or at public functions, fully armed police orderlies assigned to private, wealthy Nigerians can be seen slapping the bonnets of cars to command other road users to give way to their principals. These days, it is not uncommon to find female police officers treated in a demeaning manner and forced to carry the handbags of the wives of State governors or local government chairmen. Police officers are also used as househelps to carry out menial domestic jobs in the houses of their principals. For instance, in September 2022, a female police officer, Inspector Teju Moses, was physically assaulted by her principal in Garki, Abuja, due to the officer’s refusal to breach professional ethics by carrying out menial and domestic chores in the house.

However, there are circumstances in which policemen or law enforcement officers can be assigned to protect important public officers or private citizens. For example, when there is credible information or evidence indicating that an individual faces a specific threat to his/her life or safety, the police or the law enforcement agent may be assigned to provide protection for such an individual. Similarly, public figures such as current and ex-political officeholders, serving judges, serving magistrates and high-ranking officials may receive police protection due to the increased risk of being targeted for various reasons, including political motives, public scrutiny, or personal conflicts or other ulterior selfish motives. Individuals who cooperate with law enforcement as witnesses in criminal cases may be provided with police protection to ensure their safety.

But the solution to the problems with the Nigeria Police transcends the withdrawal of the police assigned to VIP security duties. The solution is to restore the dignity and functions of the police in Nigeria. For a start, more people need to be recruited into the police force. With a population of about 200 million people, Nigeria is grossly under-policed. The United Nations recommends at least one police officer for every 450 persons in a country. Even with the mass recruitment into the police force, the bigger issue of training the police to function efficiently is unresolved. The authorities should invest in continuous training for police officers to enhance their professional skills, ethics, and understanding of human rights. Modern policing techniques, including community policing and de-escalation training should be introduced.

Also, there is a need to implement and promote community policing strategies to build trust and collaboration between the police and the communities they serve. This is the context in which the clamour for the creation of State Police is meritorious. State Police would enable the federating units to effectively maintain law and order, especially during social upheavals such as inter-communal riots, youth restiveness, ethnic militancy, without waiting for the intervention of the Federal Police, which may come late or not come. More importantly, considering the incapacity and inability of the present centralised police structure or Federal police to contend with the high rate of kidnapping, insurgency, banditry, violent crimes, and hired killings ravaging the major cities and rural areas across the country, it is high time State Police were created in Nigeria to complement the work of the Federal Police in combating crimes and protecting lives and property across the country.

The persistent call for reforming the Nigeria Police is a significant and pressing issue that requires concrete actions rather than mere rhetoric. This is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens, building trust between the police and the community, and upholding the rule of law.