The Code of Conduct for officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force recently launched by Vice President Namadi Sambo is a 20-page booklet titled: Code Of Conduct for officers and Men of the Nigeria police Force. The booklet contains eight principles, with each principle having between two and four rules aimed at guiding the officers and men in their conduct as police officers.
The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, stated that the Code of Conduct is in line with the mission and vision of his administration to make Nigeria safer and more secured for economic development and growth and to create a safe and secured environment for everyone living in Nigeria. To this end, Abubakar said to achieve this vision, the police will partner with other relevant security agencies and the public in gathering, collating and sharing of information and intelligence.
The vision for a safer Nigeria was clearly stated by the IGP on the first page of the Code of Conduct where he quoted Francis Bacon’s Essays (1625), which states: “He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.” To this end, the IGP stated: “The Code will be regarded as an accountability manual that will reflect International Conventions for Law Enforcement Agents, the provisions of Sections 353-368 of Part XV of Police Act (Cap 359) and other relevant Force Orders as well as Public Service Rules.”
The booklet highlights that the Code of Conduct is to provide all members of the Nigeria Police Force with a set of guiding principles and standards of behaviours while on or off duty. It is intended to be used by police officers in determining what is right and proper in all their actions; the Code shall set out an outline which every member of the Force can easily understand. It will enable policemen to know acceptable conducts.
The Code of Conduct booklet encompasses nine areas, which outlines: Primary responsibilities of a police officer “as an effective representative of the government who is required and trusted to work within the law as the officer’s power and duties are conferred by statutes which outlines the fundamental duties of a police officer to serve the community, safeguarding lives and property, protecting the innocent, keeping the peace and ensuring the rights of all to liberty, equity and justice.” Others areas include the performance of the duties of a police officer, “discretion, use of force, confidentiality, integrity, cooperation with other police officers and agencies, personal professional capabilities and private life.
Principle One states: The police officer shall conduct themselves whether ON OR FOFF DUTY IN accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all applicable laws, ordinances and rules enacted or established pursuant to legal authority.
Principle Two: Police officers shall refrain from any conduct in an official capacity that distracts from the public’s faith in the integrity of the criminal justice system.
Principle Three: Police officers shall perform their duties and apply the law impartially and without prejudices or discrimination.
Principle Four: Police officers shall not, whether on or off duty, exhibit conduct which will discredit themselves or the force or otherwise impairs their ability or that of other officers or the Force to provide law enforcement services to the community.
Principle Five: Police officers shall treat all members of the public courteously and with respect.
Principle Six: Police officers shall not compromise their integrity nor that of the Force, by accepting, giving or soliciting any gratuity which could be reasonably interpreted as capable of influencing their official acts or judgments, or by using their status as police officers for personal, commercial, or political gain.
Principle Seven: Police officers shall not compromise their integrity or that of the Force by taking or attempting to influence actions when a conflict of interest exists.
Principle Eight: Police officers shall observe the confidentiality of information available to their status as police officers.
Abubakar emphasized that a thorough implementation of the Code will be carried out as efforts shall be made to ensure that the principles embodied in the Code are reflected in appropriate legislations and made available to officers and men of the Force while the Code will also be massively published for members of the public to understand what the Code is all about.
In order to intimate and inculcate the Code of Conduct in the officers and men of the Force, Abubakar had, at a meeting with senior police officers, including DIGs, Assistant Inspectors General and Commissioners of Police called for a massive campaign to all police formations in the country. He directed the senior police officers to organise seminars for officers and men from the Divisional level to the Zonal level, urging them to faithfully adhere to the Code as he warned that officers and men who breach the Code will face the consequences.
Abubakar said: “You are aware that we just had a summit and launch of a code of conduct. Our meeting here is to evaluate and reassess the security situation in Nigeria, vis-à-vis the performance of our officers and men, particularly the zonal AIGs and command commissioners of police, area commanders and Divisional Police Officers in the respective zones and commands in the country in the area of safety and security of our nation and the citizens. Having just launched the Code of Conduct, Zonal AIGs and Commissioners of Police should take this as a directive to go back to their respective commands and organise workshops and seminars for this Code of Conduct, with a view to bringing it to the knowledge of all officers and men under their Zones and commands for compliance.”
The police boss urged members of the public to monitor the performance of the officers and men of the Force and report erring officers accordingly. He, however, cautioned members of the public against abuse, adding: “The conduct of officers and men would be watched very seriously and focus will be given to each of these officers and their areas of responsibility. We do equally expect members of the public to support and assist the police in respecting this code of conduct. At the same time, members of the public can make observations and complaints to the highest authority of the police. That means that the conduct of officers can be reported at the Divisional, Area, Command, Zonal levels and at the Force headquarters. There is a channel of communication and we do expect that when Nigerians are making these observations and complaints, they should be genuine and honest and they should be fair to these officers and men.”
Abubakar said though the Force is faced with financial and infrastructural challenges, officers are encouraged to do their best in the discharge of their duties. He said: “Despite the fact that we know the inadequacies, in terms of logistics and equipment, we, as members of this noble profession, have all agreed to comply with this code of conduct, believing that government is making efforts at providing all that we need to be professionalized and to be more effective and more efficient than we are today. So, members of the public should take very serious note of all these shortcomings, but notwithstanding, we pledge to do our best in the service of this country. Like it has been said, the highest sacrifice any Nigerian can make for this country is to give his life in the service of the people and the country, and that is what officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force are doing and we shall continue to do that .”
Sambo said his office will carry out a quarterly assessment of the implementation of the Code of Conduct to ensure that the officers adhere strictly to its tenets.
View Nigeria Police Code of Conduct
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