Senate has passed a bill amending the Police Act and prescribing, among others, a four-year single tenure for the office of the Inspector-General of Police.
The proposed legislation is entitled, “Police Act CAP P19 LFN 2004 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2020”
According to the bill, the tenure is introduced to give stability to the office of the Inspector-General of Police.
It also states that the appointment and removal from office of the IGP would henceforth be based on the advice of the Police Council.
Tuesday’s legislative action followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs.
The report read by the panel Chairman, Senator Haliru Jika, recommended that the Inspector-General of Police should adhere to policing plans.
It stated, “The national policing plan should be made with inputs from the Police Force Headquarters and all the various Police formations nationwide before the end of each financial year.
” It should set priorities, objectives, cost implications and expected outcomes of Policing for the next succeeding financial year in order to change budgeting from a top-down approach to a bottom-up approach.”
The proposed law also recommended that the Police should “abide and enforce certain constitutional provisions, particularly fundamental rights of persons in Police custody under chapter 4 of the l999 constitution (as amended) and other international instruments on Human rights to which Nigeria is a signatory.”
