ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has ruled that police officers who are not members of the Specialist Legal Cadre cannot represent the Nigeria Police Force in civil lawsuits, describing the decision as part of efforts to strengthen professionalism within the force.
Okay News reports that Justice O. Y. Anuwe delivered the judgment on Friday in a suit filed by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) against the Police Service Commission (PSC) and five other federal respondents.
The court held that general-duty police officers who later obtained law degrees but were not officially absorbed into the Specialist Legal Cadre cannot appear as defence counsel for the police in civil matters. However, the judgment clarified that such officers may continue to prosecute criminal cases where permitted by law.
The case was instituted by the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) through its Public Interest Litigation Committee, led by Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, SAN. The association argued that allowing general-duty officers to conduct civil litigation for the police breached Rule 8 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, which regulates legal practice by lawyers employed in government and corporate institutions.
Justice Anuwe also directed the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission to comply with Section 66(3) of the Police Act 2020 by deploying at least one qualified legal officer to every Police Division across the country. The court said the officers should oversee detention procedures and help ensure compliance with human rights standards.
Reacting to the judgment, NBA President Afam Osigwe, SAN, described the decision as a major victory for the rule of law and professional standards within the police, adding that the association would monitor compliance with the court’s directives nationwide.
