Police Reform

In 2020, the National Assembly passed a new Police Act for Nigeria, which was an improvement on the old 1948 Police Act inherited from British colonialists. The passage of a new Police Act in 2020 has however not sufficiently addressed the problem of policing in the country, meaning that there will be need for additional reform efforts to be made. To this end, the Senate will do the following:

1. Review the current Police Act 2020 with a view to identifying areas of additional reforms and gaps.
2. The Senate will also seek to reform the Police and strengthen the framework for community policing.
3. The Senate will review current constitutional and legal provisions to decentralise the Police system and increase the achievement of an effective and accountable local policing system. In addition, the constitutional discussions surrounding the creation of State Police will be seriously reviewed as part of the Senate’s constitution review process.
4. The role of the Police as the primary agency responsible for internal security will be emphasised through improved funding, training, capacity development, procurement of equipment and compliance with domestic and international human rights laws and norms.
5. Existing laws on the funding of the Police, including the Police Trust fund Act and any other laws impacting on funding of Police will be reviewed to achieve their effectiveness and management efficiency.
6. The Human Rights Committee of the Senate will be mandated to create a mechanism and increase its oversight of the Police, to ensure the Police’s respect for the human rights of citizens, respect for the rule of law and adherence to Nigerian and international human rights treaties, obligations and norms.