The Nigeria Police and Security: With Special Reference to Armed Robbery
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8505800407 |
| Date | 01 October 1985 |
| Author | T. O. Oruene |
| Published date | 01 October 1985 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
MISS T. O.
ORUENE
Institute
of
Human Relations. London.
THE
NIGERIA
POLICE
AND
SECURITY: WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO
ARMED
ROBBERY
Introduction
It is the duty of the State to protect its citizens. Such protection
covers the preservation of the lives and property of the people against
every possible threat. The duty of such protection, which is a form of
security, is vested in the Nigeria Police Force. Therefore, the
institution of the Nigeria Police Force constitutes the first line of
defence against any threats to the internal security of the State of
Nigeria and her community.
In this essay, an analysis will be made of the function of the Nigeria
Police Force
and
the mode of operation; I will then attempt to find
from the paucity of information at my disposal, whether the police
sufficiently and efficiently performs its security duties, that is, offer
adequate protection for the citizens of Nigeria when the community
is threatened by a specific group, namely, armed robbers.
Organization and Command
The Nigeria Police Force in its present form was constituted in 1914,
as a result of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern
Nigeria.
It
is a Federal Force and was established by s. 105 of the
Nigeria Republican Constitution.
The administration and operational control of the Force are
directed from police headquarters in Lagos. The Inspector General,
who is head of the police organization, is established by the
Constitution (s. 195(1))
and
appointed by the President who may
also remove him should the need arise. Making the post a political
one thus nullifies the value of vesting the command of the police in a
non-partisan Inspector-General, since he cannot afford to be too
independent of the Federal government in the exercise of his
command, knowing
that that
might expose him to the sanction of
removal. I
Force Headquarters and its various units form a Police Area
Command.
For
efficient administration, it is being divided into six
departments, each of which is under the control of an Assistant
Inspector-General, who is responsible to the Inspector-General for
the general direction, supervision and co-ordination of the work of
the Branches of his Department at Force Headquarters.
308 October 1985
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