APPRAISAL OF THE PROSECUTORIAL POWERS OF THE NIGERIA POLICE

BY

SAMSON OCHE OCHEPA

BSU/LAW/16/38814
CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY - - - - - 1

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM - - - - 4

1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES - - - - - - 7

1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY - - - - 8

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY - - - - - 9

1.6 RESEACH METHODOLOGY - - - - - 9

1.7 CHAPTER ANALYSIS - - - - - - 10

CHAPTER TWO

CONCEPTUAL / THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1 MEANING OF POLICE - - - - - 12

2.2. HISTORY OF THE NIGERIA POLICE - - - 14

2.3. MEANING OF PROSECUTION - - - - 15

2.3.1 Persons/ institutions that can prosecute under Nigeria law. - 16

2.4 POWERS/ ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE NIGERIA POLICE

FORCE - - - - - - - - 22

CHAPTER THREE

LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK OF THE PROSECUTORIAL POWER

OF THE NIGERA POLICE

3.1 STRUCTURE OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE - 34

3.1.1 Organisational Structure - - - - - 34

3.1.2 Command Structure - - - - - - 34

3.1.3 Administration Structure - - - - - 37

3.2 SOURCES OF THE PROSECUTORIAL POWERS OF THE

NIGERIA POLICE FORCE - - - - - 46

3.2.1 The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999

as amended - - - - - - - 46

3.2.2 The Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 (ACJA) and Administration

of criminal Justice Laws of various States - - - 48

3.2.3 The Police Act 2020 - - - - - - 50

3.3 CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES BORDERING ON THE LEGAL

FRAMEWORK ON THE PROSECUTION POWER OF THE NIGERIA

POLICE - - - - - - - 51

3.3.1 An Appraisal of the Case of FRN v Osahon & 7 ORS (2006) 5 NWLR

(Pt. 973) at 361 - - - - - - 51

3.3.2 An Appraisal of Section 66(2) and (3) of the Police Act 2020 53

3.3.3 Can Police Officers who are non-Lawyers still prosecute Criminal cases

in any Nigeria Court? - - - - - - 55

CHAPTER FOUR

CHALLENGES AND PROSPECT OF POLICE PROSECUTION IN NIGERIA

4.1 CHALLENGES MILITATING POLICE PROSECUTION IN

NIGERIA - - - - - - - 60

4.1.1 Inadequate Police Prosecutors - - - - 60

4.1.2 Poor Funding of Police Prosecution - - - - 61

4.1.3 Lack of Office Accommodation for Police Prosecutors - 61

4.1.4 Lack of Reference Libraries for Police Prosecutors - - 61

4.1.5 Lack of Adequate Training for Police Prosecutors - - 62

4.1.6 Refusal of Investigating Police Officers to Attend Court as Witnesses

for the Prosecution - - - - - - 62

4.1.7 Poor Investigation of Criminal Cases by Police Investigators 62

4.1.8 Inordinate Delay in Criminal Trial by the Courts - - 53

4.1.9 Corrupt and other Unethical Practices by Police Prosecutors - 64

4.1.10 Enactment of Laws that Restrict Police Prosecutorial Power - 64

5.1. PROSPECTS OF POLICE PROSECUTION OF CRIMINAL CASES

IN NIGERIA COURTS - - - - - 65

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSSION

5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS - - - - 69

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS - - - - - 72

5.3 CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE - - - 74

5.4 AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDIES - - - 75

5.5 CONCLUSSION - - - - - - 75

BIBLIOGRAPHY - - - - - - 76