By Ghazali Ibrahim
The National Industrial Court has directed the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to deploy at least one legally qualified police officer to every police division across the country.
The judgment aimed at strengthening legal oversight and protecting citizens’ rights.
The ruling, delivered on July 10, 2026, by the Abuja Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court, followed a suit filed by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL).
The case, marked NICN/ABJ/264/2025, sought the court’s interpretation and enforcement of provisions of the Police Act, 2020, and the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023.
Reacting to the judgment in a statement on Sunday, NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), said the court affirmed that police officers who are qualified legal practitioners but have not been officially appointed or upgraded as legal officers cannot perform the functions of legal officers within the force, except in criminal prosecutions where the law permits.
The court also restrained such officers from holding themselves out as legal officers or performing the responsibilities of the office without lawful authorisation.
Osigwe said the court further held that the PSC, the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police have a statutory obligation under Section 66(3) of the Police Act, 2020, to assign legally qualified police officers to police divisions nationwide.
According to him, the court ordered the authorities to comply with the law by posting at least one qualified legal officer to every police division across the federation.
The NBA, however, did not secure all the reliefs it sought. The court declined the association’s request for the automatic elevation of police lawyers to the rank of Superintendent of Police.
Despite this, Osigwe described the judgment as a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen professionalism and legal compliance within the Nigeria Police Force.
He said the decision underscores the critical role of legal practitioners in law enforcement and would enhance legal oversight at the divisional level, thereby promoting greater respect for constitutional rights and the rule of law.
The NBA president also commended SPIDEL and the legal team that handled the case, particularly the Chairman of the SPIDEL Public Interest Litigation Committee, Olukunle Edun (SAN), for pursuing what he described as an important public interest action.
He added that the association would review the judgment, monitor its implementation and take further steps where necessary to ensure full compliance with the court’s directives.
