Biography; History Of The Nigeria Police Force And All You need to Know

 


According to NaijaBiography.com, The Nigeria Police Force serves the society by ensuring the protection of human rights and freedom, countering crime, supporting the public law and order, as well as public safety. NPF is the principal law enforcement agency in Nigeria.

Chief Louis Orok Edet was the first indigenous Nigerian to occupy the position. He was briefly the chairman of the Nigerian Football Association in the early 1960s. The agency is currently headed by IGP Adamu Muhammed, (The 20th indigenous Inspector-General of Police).

But what exactly is the Nigerian Police Force (NPF)..??

Well, The NPF is a very large Agency consisting of 36 State commands grouped into 12 zones and 7 administrative departments. viz. Finance and Administration, Operations, Logistics, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Training, Research and Planning, and Information and Communication Technology, Each headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police.

However, the Police Force of Nigeria started in 1820.

Compiled Brief History Of The Nigeria Police Force

Nigeria Police was first established in 1820. A 1200 member armed paramilitary Hausa Constabulary was set up. A similar Force was formed in Calabar in 1894 and named “The Niger Coast Constabulary”  it was formed under the newly proclaimed Niger Coast Protectorate. In the north, the Royal Niger Company set up the Royal Niger Company Constabulary in 1888  with headquarters at Lokoja and The Lagos Police, which was established in 1896.

  • When in the early 1900s, the Northern and Southern Nigeria protectorates were declared, the Northern Nigeria Police was formed from a portion of the Constabulary of Royal Niger Company. The portion of the Constabulary of Niger Coast formed the Southern Nigeria Police.
  • In the 1960s, under the First Republic, these forces were first regionalized and then nationalized.


So The NPF performed conventional police functions and was responsible for 

➡️ internal security safety in the general

➡️ penitentiary, immigration, and custom house institutions support

➡️ Executing military obligations in or outside the country..


Police officers were not usually armed but were issued weapons when required for specific missions or circumstances. They were often deployed throughout the country, 

At the end of 1986, the Nigeria Police Force was reformed throughout the country into seven regional commands. They replaced a command composition matching to each of the states in Nigeria. A commissioner led every command and later they were shared into police provinces and subdivisions driven by local officers. 


The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) headquarters, which was also an area command, supervised and coordinated the other area commands. Later these Area Commands were grouped under Zone Commands as follows:


➡️Zone 1, Headquartered Kano, with Kano, Kastina, and Jigawa Commands

➡️Zone 2, Headquartered Lagos, with Lagos, and Ogun Commands

➡️Zone 3, Headquartered Yola, with Adamawa, and Gombe Commands


Some Ranks of The Nigeria Police Force

  • Inspector-General of Police (IGP)
  • Deputy Inspector General of Police
  • Assistant Inspector General of Police
  • Commissioner of Police
  • Deputy Commissioner of Police
  • Assistant Commissioner of Police
  • Chief Superintendent of Police
  • Superintendent of Police
  • Deputy Superintendent of Police
  • Assistant Superintendent of Police
  • Inspector of Police
  • Sergeant Major
  • Sergeant
  • Corporal
  • Constable


Lastly, here are the list of Duties of The Nigeria Police force

Section 4 of the Police Acts and Regulations lists the duties of the police force to include:

  • The apprehension of offenders
  • The preservation of law and order.
  • The protection of life and property.
  • The prevention and detection of crime.
  • The due enforcement of laws and regulations with which they are directly charged.
  • The performance of such military duties within and outside Nigeria as may be required of them by or under the authority of the police act or any other act.


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Source; NaijaBiography and Wikipedia


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