Nigerian Police Sections, Departments and their Functions- The Nigeria police force is an official organization that is responsible for protecting people and property, making people obey the law, finding out about and solving crime, and catching people who have committed a crime.
Nigerian Police Sections
The Nigerian Police is the principal law enforcement agency in the country today. They have staff strength of about 371,800. There are currently plans to increase the force to 650,000, adding 280,000 new recruits to the existing 370,000.
The NP is a very large organization consisting of 36 commands grouped into 12 zones and 7 administrative organs. The agency is currently headed by the Inspector General of Police in the person of Ibrahim Kpotun Idris
The Nigerian Police Force Unit – Overview
Nigeria’s police was first established in 1820 and it began with officers from the eastern part of Nigeria, especially present day Imo State.
The first person to have the highest rank in all the police is commissioner general colonel KK.
In mid-1989 another NPF reorganization was announced. In 1989 the NPF also created a Quick Intervention Force in each state, separate from the mobile police units, specifically to monitor political events and to quell unrest during the transition to civil rule.
Each state unit of between 160 and 400 police was commanded by an assistant superintendent and equipped with vehicles, communications gear, weapons, and crowd control equipment, including cane shields, batons, and tear gas.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the highest criminal investigation arm of the Nigeria Police NPF. The Department is headed by a Deputy Inspector-General (DIG).
Its primary functions include investigation and prosecution of serious and complex criminal cases within and outside the Country.
The Police Mobile Force was established as a strike unit under the control of the Inspector-General of Police to counter incidents of civil disturbance. It is designated to take over operations of major crisis where conventional police units cannot cope.
The Nigerian Police Sections or Department also coordinates crime investigations throughout the NPF.
Top Section/Unit Of Nigeria Police Force:
- Administration
- Anti-Fraud Section
- Central Criminal Registry
- Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS),
- Interpol Section
- ‘X’ Squad Section
- General Investigation,
- Homicide
- Special Fraud Unit (SFU),
- Anti-Human Trafficking Unit,
- Forensic Science Laboratory,
- Legal Section,
- Force CID Annex Lagos
- Force CID Annex Kaduna
List Of Nigerian Police Sections / Departments:
Nigerian Police Sections are numerous but we have covered 14 unit, Department and functions among others include investigation and prosecution of serious and complex criminal cases within and outside the country.
The Department has the following Sections and functions as discussed below:
1. Administration
The ‘D’ Department is headed by Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG Peter Y. Gana mni.). The Administrative Section is among other things charged with the day-to-day running of the Department. The Section issues policy directives that guide the affairs of the Department.
2. Anti-Fraud Section
The Anti-Fraud Section is headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP Sylvester A. Umeh). The Section investigates cases of dud cheques and fraud related offences that may be referred to the Section by the IGP or through the DIG ‘D’.
3. Legal Section
The Legal Section is headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP Adebayo Ajileye). The Section was set up to perform the following functions;
- Vetting and issuing of legal advice on casefiles received from various sections of the Department.
- Instituting and prosecuting cases in Courts.
- Diligent defense of civil suits brought against the Police.
- Liaising with the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Office of the State Attorneys General as the case may be, in respect of cases that require their attention and co-operation, especially on serious crimes and civil litigations.
- Advice the Force on current legal issues, prepare contract, agreements, memoranda of understanding, etc.
- Provision of library services and other adhoc functions as directed by the IGP/DIG.
4. Forensic Science Laboratory
The Section is headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP Ovie Oyakomino). It deals with the application of science to law. It employs highly developed technology to uncover scientific evidence relevant to criminal investigation. It has the following functional units:
a. Crime Scene: Undertakes visit to crime scenes, photograph and make sketch of the scene, search for exhibits, process invisible to be visible and obtain the exhibits for analysis by other units.
b. Chemistry: Undertakes physical examination and chemical analysis of materials using different equipments and/or chemical materials including powders and liquid for their composition.
c. Biology: Undertakes visual, physical and microscopic examination of biological materials like hairs, fibers, plants, leaves for identification purposes. d. Ballistics: Examination of firearms, empty cartridges, shells and bullets for prohibition, state of functionality and identification or matching of shells and/or bullets with suspects firearms.
e. Serology/DNA: Identification and typing of biological materials/stains like blood, semen for their origin.
f. Fingerprints: Obtains biometrics and bio-data of suspects into database, conducts search of electronic database for match of prints recovered from crime scenes for identification purpose.
g. Disputed Documents: Undertakes examination of documents using different light sources and equipments for forgery, alteration, erasure, etc.
5. Anti-Human Trafficking Unit
The Section is headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP Mary A. Egbeyemi).
The Unit works in collaboration with the UNICEF, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP), International Labour Organization, United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
It Also works with Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), America Bar Association (ABA), Nigerian Organization for Migration.
These joint actions were mapped out for the eradication of human trafficking.
6. Force CID Annex Lagos
The annex office is headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge Administration (DCP Abdulmaliki S. Adeyemi). The function of the annex office is replicated to have all the Sections mentioned above with the same functions to cater for the southern part of the country.
7. Force CID Annex Kaduna
The annex office is headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge Administration (DCP Sani U. Mohammed).
The annex office is a “train the trainer outfit” for the training and certification of experts on specialized fields such as disputed documents, photography, finger print, etching, etc. It is a technical/specialized aspect of the Force CID
8. Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad was founded in late 1992 by former police commissioner Simeon Danladi Midenda. The major reason SARS was formed was when Col. Rindam of the
Nigerian Army was killed by police officers at a checkpoint in Lagos in September 1992, later leading to the arrest of three officers. When the information reached the army, soldiers were dispatched into the streets of Lagos in search of any police officer.
The Nigerian police withdrew from checkpoints, security areas, and other points of interest for criminals, some police officers were said to have resigned while others fled for their lives.
Due to the absence of police for two weeks, the crime rate increased and SARS was formed with only 15 officers operating in the shadows without knowledge of the army while monitoring police radio chatters.
Due to the existence of three already established anti-robbery squads that were operational at that time, Midenda needed to distinguish his squad from the already existing teams.
Midenda named his team Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). After months of dialogue the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force came to an understanding and official police duties began again in Lagos. The SARS unit was officially commissioned in Lagos following a ceasefire by the army after settlement.
SARS was one of the 14 units in the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, which was established to detain, investigate and prosecute people involved in crimes like armed robbery, kidnapping, and other forms of crime
9. Special Fraud Unit (SFU)
Police Special Fraud Unit is a section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), a highest investigation arm of the Nigeria Police.
The PSFU is headed by the Commissioner of Police – COMPOL Ibrahim Lamorde (BSc, MSc, Mni) and Its function include investigation and prosecution of serious and complex fraudulent cases within and outside the country.
The PSFU serve as an internal resource within the FCID, conducting research and investigation into potential fraudulent activity. The Special Fraud Unit, provides assistance in reviewing situations where potential fraud has been identified. The definition of fraud is the “intentional misrepresentation of a material fact for personal gain”.
The PSFU comprises of investigators who focus on both employee and employer fraud. In order to recognize potential fraud instances, the special investigator uses a thorough investigation procedure.
If you have a potential fraud situation that you would like to report, please call and ask to speak with our Investigation Unit at PSFU.
10. Homicide
The Section is headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP Adamu Hassan). It is charged with the investigation of cases of murder, manslaughter and related cases. It also investigates cases as directed by IGP and DIG ‘D’ Department.
11. General Investigation
The Section is headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP James O. Aroniyo). It is saddled with the responsibility of investigating those cases that are sensitive and complex in nature that require specialized investigation techniques.
12. Interpol Section
he Section is headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP Adeniji Adeola Adeleke).
The Section is also known as the National Central Bureau Interpol Lagos/Abuja which is an affiliate of the ICPO – Interpol with Headquarters at Lyon, France.
It serves as the link between Nigeria Police and the world. The Section keeps records of Nigerian deportees and investigates cases that crosses national boundary.
It also liaises between the Force and the Embassies/High Commissions in Nigeria.
13. The Central Criminal Registry (CCR)
The CCR is headed by a Commissioner of Police (Ag/CP Salau O. Waheed). The functions of the CCR are:
a. The maintenance of records of known criminals convicted in Nigeria and abroad,
b. Collating necessary information about crime and criminals,
c. Maintaining criminal index in such a manner as to trace it easily for reference purposes, d. Maintain links with:
- All Police Commands,
- Government Departments such as Prisons, etc,
- Supply of information on criminal records to Interpol.
Nigerian Police Sections
14. X-Squad
The X-Squad Section is headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP Ali Amodu). The Section is a striking force used for anti corruption crusade of the Nigeria Police Force.
It also carries out “sting operations” on officers involved in bribery, corruption, other forms of official misconducts and the flouting of the directives of the IGP. It also carries out surveillance activities at Banks and other important places.
