- Kazeem Badmus
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) was formed in 1930 and they are the principal law enforcement agency in Nigeria with exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country. The main function of NPF is the protection of lives and properties in Nigeria and they are supervised by the following government agencies the Police Service Commission, the Nigerian Police Council, and the Ministry of Interior.
Sections 214 to 216 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria provide for the Nigeria Police Force. Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution (As amended) categorically states 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”. The Act, however, regulates the Force. Section 4 of the Act provides that,’ “The Police shall be employed for 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.”
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had in October 2021, approved the recruitment of 10,000 policemen annually for six years.
He stated that the move was part of efforts to strengthen the security agencies in the fight against banditry and other criminal activities ravaging the country.
However, there has been a power tussle between the leadership of the Force and the Service Commission on who is responsible for recruiting officers into the force.
For over four years, the PSC and the NPF had engaged in a fierce legal battle on who should be responsible for the recruitment of constables.
Supreme Court Judgement
The Police Service Commission on August 27, said the Supreme Court has ruled in its favour to solely take the responsibility of recruiting constables into the Nigeria Police Force.
The spokesman for the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, claimed that on July 11, 2023, the apex court in the land decided and laid to rest the contentious issue and controversy between the commission and the force.
Ani while quoting the Chairman of the PSC, Solomon Arase, said the judgment was in the interest of national security.
“In the judgment, the Supreme Court ‘unequivocally pronounced’ the commission as an agency statutorily mandated to do so,”
PSC Inaugurates Police Recruitment Board
The Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase, on Monday, September 04, 2023, in Abuja, inaugurated an 11-member board for recruiting personnel into the nation’s internal security agency.
Mr. Arase said the inauguration of the board was a symbolic milestone not only for PSC and the Force but also for Nigeria’s security architecture.
He said the inauguration of the board was in line with one of the statutory powers of the commission, as affirmed and reinforced in the recent judgment of the Supreme Court on 11 July.
The board has Onyemuche Nnamani, representing PSC as Chairman; Bala Ciroma, Nigeria Police; and Muhammed Magaji, Ministry of Police Affairs.
Others are Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, PSC; Joseph Olowofela, Federal Character Commission; Hassan Yabanet, Police Colleges; and Yusuf Sanusi, PSC.
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Other board members are Sani Hada, Victoria Onyekwuluije and Ahanmisi Obehi, all from PSC, while Olabode Akinbamilowo of the Nigeria Police Force will serve as Secretary.
He said, “The board is to determine and declare the available vacancies in the (NPF) that need to be filled up and draw up guidelines for every recruitment process in the Force.
“They will also determine the online platform to be employed in the advertorials and recruitment of applicants, place advertorials on national dailies and other forms of information dissemination on the recruitment.
“It will also ensure a seamless recruitment process of qualified, competent and able-bodied Nigerians into the Nigeria Police Force without discrimination of anyone based on sex, religion, or geography.”
Mr Arase said the board would observe and monitor the recruitment process to ensure compliance with laid down guidelines and strict adherence to the requirements for eligibility.
Police Service Commission Website
Checks by OSUN DEFENDER on the website of the Police Service Commission (https//:www.psc.gov.ng) as of 09:00 am on Saturday, September 16, 2023, showed that the recruitment exercise has not commenced.
The recruitment part was clicked with nothing popping up.
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
