Judiciary directs assignment of law enforcement attorneys to every precinct

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja Judicial Division, has issued a ruling that prohibits police officers not employed in the Specialist Legal Cadre from representing the Nigeria Police Force in civil proceedings, effectively barring them from appearing in court on behalf of the force.

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This decision is part of a broader judgment that also mandates the Police Service Commission and the Inspector-General of Police to deploy at least one police lawyer to every police station across the country, with the aim of strengthening compliance with human rights standards in policing.

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The Nigerian Bar Association disclosed the details of this judgment in a statement posted on its official X handle on Saturday, revealing that the ruling was delivered by Justice O. Y. Anuwe in the suit marked NICN/ABJ/264/2025, Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. Police Service Commission & 5 Others.

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The suit challenged the practice of police officers who were recruited as General Duty Officers, obtained law degrees, and were called to the Nigerian Bar, yet continued to perform legal duties and represent the Nigeria Police Force in court without being converted to the Specialist Legal Cadre.

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The action sought judicial interpretation of Rule 8(1) and (2) of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023, Section 18(9) and (11) of the Nigeria Police Act 2020, and Force Order 137(3) of the Ratified Police Force Order 2013, highlighting the need for clarity on these matters.

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The NBA argued that several police officers had obtained law degrees and been called to the Nigerian Bar, but were never converted to the Specialist Legal Cadre as required by law, and yet continued to undertake legal duties, including representing the Nigeria Police in court.

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The court initially dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the Police Service Commission, which challenged the competence of the suit and the locus standi of the association to institute the action, adopting a liberal approach to standing in public interest litigation.

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The Court held that the NBA possessed the requisite legal standing, as the suit was instituted to protect the interests of legal practitioners and promote compliance with statutory and professional obligations, marking a significant development in the case.

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On the substantive issues, the court ruled that police officers who had not been appointed or converted to the Specialist Legal Cadre could no longer represent the Nigeria Police Force in civil proceedings, effectively restraining such officers from appearing in civil cases on behalf of the force.

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The Court consequently ordered the Police Service Commission and the Inspector-General of Police to implement Section 66(3) of the Police Act by deploying police lawyers to police stations nationwide to strengthen legal oversight and ensure greater protection of human rights in police operations.

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Justice Anuwe further ordered the deployment of police lawyers to police stations across the country, aiming to strengthen legal oversight and ensure greater protection of human rights in police operations, as part of the judgment.

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The NBA reacted to the judgment by stating that the decision is expected to accelerate the professionalisation of police legal practice, improve legal advice at divisional police formations, and deepen institutional compliance with constitutional safeguards governing arrests, detention, investigations, and other policing activities.

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The judgment represents another significant milestone in the Nigerian Bar Association’s use of strategic public interest litigation to advance institutional reforms and strengthen the rule of law, according to the association.

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The association acknowledged that the suit aimed not only to clarify the legal status of police lawyers but also to secure structural reforms aimed at embedding legal oversight and human rights compliance within police operations across the Federation.

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The Certified True Copy of the judgment will soon be made public, according to the Nigerian Bar Association, which also acknowledged the efforts of its legal team led by Olukunle O. Edun (SAN), alongside other lawyers, for prosecuting the suit.

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The legal team that prosecuted the suit included Austin J. Utah, Dr Lilian Ojimma, Bulus Y. Atsen, Olajide Abiodun, Mohammed Danjuma, and Vincent Adodo, who worked under the leadership of Olukunle O. Edun (SAN).