- Challenges of Accountability in the Nigerian Police Force
- Former IGP Mike Okiro Speaks on Police Reform and Accountability
- The Urgent Need for Accountability in the Nigerian Police Force
- Nigeria’s Police Crisis: Funding, Oversight, and the Path Forward
- Law Enforcement in Nigeria: The Accountability Dilemma
- The Missing Link in Nigerian Policing: Accountability and Reform
- Police Welfare and Accountability: Key Issues in Nigeria’s Security Sector
The issue of accountability within the Nigerian Police Force has posed significant challenges to law enforcement operations. Former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, recently emphasized the pressing need for reforms to improve accountability and efficiency in the force. Speaking on the current affairs program The Press, Okiro shed light on the difficulties officers face despite their commitment to intelligence gathering and security operations.
Okiro expressed concerns over the behavior and discipline of some officers, particularly in the absence of strict oversight. He noted that without proper accountability measures, police personnel may act with impunity, which undermines public trust in law enforcement. The lack of an effective system to track lost or stolen arms further exacerbates these concerns, posing a security risk to both officers and the public.
“If you look at how they are behaving now, with federal police, can you imagine how they would behave under state control?”
One major challenge, according to Okiro, is the issue of police welfare, particularly the delay or non-payment of salaries. He highlighted that while some state governments in Nigeria owe civil servants, including teachers and nurses, for months, the police force cannot afford to be placed in such a situation. The former IGP emphasized that ensuring timely salary payments and adequate funding for police operations is crucial to maintaining national security.
“Secondly, the police said they cannot be owed for one month, right? Yet, some governors in Nigeria owe their civil servants, teachers, and nurses. But owing the police is far more serious than owing any other civil servants in a state. No one can even imagine the consequences if a state fails to pay its police force.”
Furthermore, Okiro pointed out the difficulty in holding officers accountable for incidents that occurred before their tenure. He referenced cases where officers were punished for arms lost or damaged long before they assumed office. He argued that instead of imposing penalties on current officers, the government should focus on implementing better tracking and inventory systems to manage police resources effectively.
“They are cut off, and all these losses add up—the missing rifles, some of which even get burned. Weapons are damaged, and various factors contribute to their loss and destruction. Sometimes, an officer takes an AR for a task, and over time, it gets misplaced. Some cases are overdue; the necessary time should be allocated to address these issues.”
The issue of funding for the police force was another critical point raised. Okiro explained that the Nigerian government faces multiple financial obligations, including defense, education, infrastructure, and agriculture. In his view, the police force often suffers from inadequate funding due to these competing demands, making it difficult to implement necessary reforms.
“IG, two years ago, an issue arose regarding arms that went missing 20 years ago—there’s no way I can resolve that. You can’t just look at records and accept them at face value; you need clear and accurate answers. When it comes to the inventory of arms, the officer in charge in 2018 wasn’t even in office when some of these losses occurred. How can he be punished for something that happened before his tenure?
Read also:Â Police detain driver one month after murder of popular Ondo caterer
To address these challenges, Okiro called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s justice system to ensure fairness and accountability within law enforcement. He stressed the importance of proper oversight mechanisms to prevent the misuse of power and ensure that officers who engage in misconduct are held responsible. Additionally, he advocated for a more structured approach to police funding to guarantee adequate resources for effective policing.
“It’s not easy to leave the police force. They’ve said that policing is more than just a civil service job, right? Paying police salaries, maintaining their welfare, and ensuring operational efficiency—if the federal government is struggling to handle all this, how can state governments manage? The government already has more problems than it can solve—beyond the police, there’s defense, education, infrastructure, agriculture, and more. If you really examine the behavior of the Nigerian government, the challenges become even clearer.”
The former IGP’s remarks underscore the broader need for systemic changes within Nigeria’s law enforcement framework. Strengthening accountability mechanisms, ensuring timely payment of salaries, and improving police resource management are essential steps toward building a more efficient and trustworthy police force. Without these reforms, the challenges facing law enforcement in Nigeria will continue to persist, further weakening the country’s security apparatus.
As discussions on police reform continue, stakeholders must prioritize practical solutions that address both personnel welfare and institutional accountability. Only through sustained efforts and genuine commitment to reform can Nigeria achieve a more effective and responsible police force.
