NCJ Number
140491
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1992) Pages: 107-117
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
An analysis of legal police documents that regulate the duties, responsibilities, powers, and procedures of the Nigeria Police Force were analyzed to determine the impact of such documents on the country's policing style and the degree to which law and order are maintained.
Abstract
The Police Act of 1967 makes the Nigerian police force an agent of the Federal military government, empowered to carry out the orders of those who control the government apparatus. As a result, the police have often used force to enforce the government's policy, even if those measures are deemed illegal by the Nigerian Constitution. The Police Act empowers the police to maintain public safety and public order, protect life and property, prevent and detect crimes, enforce all laws, and execute military duties as required. Police officers are given the power to arrest without a warrant, coerce public citizens to assist in such arrests, search any house or business without a warrant, and detain or search suspects without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Furthermore, police officers can use force to disperse illegal assemblies or demonstrations, grant or refuse bail based on an individual officer's discretion, take fingerprints, mount roadblocks, and detain persons suspected of posing security threats. This author recommends that these documents be revised to eliminate the opportunities for police violence, brutality, and oppression that date to British colonialism. A change in the philosophy of policing would be the first step to improving law enforcement tactics in Nigeria. 1 table and 31 references