By Innocent Anaba
The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has barred police officers who are not employed in the Specialist Legal Cadre from representing the Nigeria Police Force in civil proceedings, even if they are qualified legal practitioners.
The court also ordered the Police Service Commission, PSC, and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, to deploy at least one police lawyer to every police station across the country in line with the provisions of the Police Act 2020.
The landmark judgment, on Friday, by Justice O. Anuwe in the suit marked NICN/ABJ/264/2025, was in the case between the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and the Police Service Commission alongside five other respondents.
The action, instituted by the NBA and prosecuted by the Public Interest Litigation Committee of the Section on Public Interest and Development Law, SPIDEL, led by Mr. Olukunle Edun, SAN, sought the 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.
