EVOLUTION OF THE NIGERIAN POLICE

INTRODUCTION

In almost all societies in the world today we have one form or the other of ensuring that the societal rules and laws are obeyed and sanctions are enforced. The group of people engage in this activity on behalf of the society is known as the police.

The modern police have emerged from these groups many of which are vigilantes or volunteers, but have emerged as the primary means for promoting and maintaining the social order. Formalized police agencies have grown rapidly in size and number from the volunteer groups in the 1800s. The London metropolitan police force was created in 1829, while the professional police force in the United States originated in New York City in 1844.

In this unit, we shall examine the historical development of the Nigerian police, and the study of traditional system of policing; and this will enable us to understand more deeply the workings and legal status of the modern Nigerian police.

 Origin of the Nigerian Police In: Traditional Societies

Before the onset of the British Colonial rule, Nigerian traditional communities have developed peculiar societal norms and beliefs which over time have metamorphosed into customary laws; these customary laws are backed by sanctions which follow breach of these societal norms. Initially there are groups of volunteers and vigilantes who are conscripted by the community to enforce any sanction imposed by the community. For instance, if the community imposes a fine on any member of the community, and he refused to comply, they may seize any of his properties. As time goes on there emerged a group who are designated as the community police who are allowed to wear a particular uniform, or some other means of identification. They are controlled by the king, Emir or chiefs as the case may be. In Yoruba land, members of the Agemo, egungun, or other secret cults, were responsible for enforcing customary law, just as the oreku mask did among the Akpoto in the idoma division and the mumuo societies did among the Igbo; other communities in traditional Nigerian societies have similar organizations for enforcing sanctions in the community. The pre-colonial methods of policing and maintaining law is quite different from today’s modern Nigeria. The traditional police never employ violence in carrying out their purpose. The aim of traditional policing was never to punish or take vengeance, but for the rehabilitation and correction of the offender, and compensate the victim.

ADVENT OF MODERN POLICE

The advent of modern police in Nigeria could be traced to the development and role of British traders at the inception of colonial rule. After the abolition of slavery, the British maintained a squadron in West African countries which intercepted slave trading ships, serving as an early example of a maritime police.


In 1849, the British government appointed a Consul-General for the Bights of Benin and Biafra on the Atlantic Coast of West Africa in the person of John Becraft to promote the so called legitimate trade and prevent quarrels and misunderstandings, between African chiefs and British merchants operating in the area. When the resistance to British rule persisted, the Acting Consul Annesley set up the first police force in the oil Rivers protectorate in 1890. He used the small police force to attack the communities in the old calabar areas. In 1896, Moor was to be appointed a commissioner and consul-General of the protectorate, he recruited some natives to create the oil Rivers irregulars, a military force, and a semi-police force known as court messengers.

The court messengers performed the duties of “military police force executed the orders of the consular courts, arrested and escorted prisoners and protected the vice-consuls when required.
Between 1897 – 98 their total strength was 123. We must note that at this time the police force was used more for military purposes than for civil police duties. At the same time the Royal Niger Company established a constabulary in the area under its control beginning from 1886.

In Lagos, after the annexation of the territory in 1861, the Consul-General established a police force and built a jail. It was the first modern police force in the history of Lagos.

In 1895, the Police ordinance was enacted, creating what was known as Lagos police; its responsibilities included “the prevention and detection of crime, the repression of internal disturbance and the deterrence of the colony and protection against external aggression”.

By May 1906, there were three different police forces serving the British protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria and the Lagos colony. When Lagos merged with the protectorate of Southern Nigeria in that month, their forces came under one command, with the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914 the control government came under Governor-General. The police force did not merge immediately; however, in 1917 the government enacted the police ordinance of that year which provided uniform rules for the police force in Nigeria.

1st April – 1930 it was known as Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Northern and Southern protectorates police force was legally merged. By

1951, under the Macpherson constitution, the Nigerian police force was now reorganized and placed under regional commands answerable to the inspector – General.

In 1960, when Nigeria became independent with the republican constitution there was further charges in the police, and the police was only answerable to the president, though the regional police presence was still evident.

This was exemplified in the powers given to local authorities to control their own local police principally for the maintenance of law and order within the different localities.

In January 1966, the military cap suspended the constitution, and decreed that all local police forces are to be placed under the overall command of the Inspector-General of police. By the end of 1969, the military has completed the total unification of all police formations in Nigeria, and placed under the control of the Inspector-General of police considerable and controlled by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

CONCLUSION

From all indications, the present police force have evolved from a checkered history from the military police of colonialist to enforce the laws of colonialist and their rule to the current status of maintaining law and order. Clearly, the refusal to have state police today contrary to many people’s expectations by Nigerian government was to avoid the mistakes of the past.

SUMMARY

Nigeria police force evolved from the quest by the colonial masters first to prevent slave trade, and protect the British merchant’s commercial interests. This was later to change after the protectorates were merged into Southern and Northern protectorates, and eventually the 1914 amalgamation that led to creation of one unified police force for the contrary.


The police force evolved through various reforms until the military took power and all regional local ‘police’ were eventually merged into one police force answerable only to the Federal Government of Nigeria.