Section 9 Nigeria Police Act

Section 9 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 is about Functions and powers of the Inspector-General of Police. It is under Part III (Appointment, Removal, Functions and Powers, etc. of Inspector-General of Police) of the Act. It provides as follows:

(1) The powers and functions of the Inspector-General of Police shall include–
(a) the development of an overall national policing plan with inputs from the Police Force Headquarters and all the various police formations nationwide before the end of each financial year, setting out the priorities, objectives, cost implications and expected outcomes of policing for the next succeeding financial year ;

(b) taking into cognisance the security situation across the country and its population, determine the manpower distribution of the Police based on its numerical strength after due consultation with the Police Service Commission ;

(c) administer and organise the Police Force into various components, units or groups for overall optimal performance and effectiveness;
(d) ensuring regular training and re-training of police officers and other staff and personnel of the Police Force and for this purpose, establish and maintain training institutions or centres for the training of members of the Police Force ;

(e) ensuring the physical ,mental and psychological wellbeing of all Police personnel ;
(f) seeing to the welfare and conditions of service of Police personnel; and
(g) performing such other functions or exercising such powers as may be conferred on him under this Act or any other law.

(2) The Inspector-General of Police shall, in addition to his functions under this section, ensure the discharge by the Police Force of the responsibilities referred to under section 5 of this Act, and forth is purpose, the Inspector-General of Police shall-
(a) facilitate access to legal support for suspects, accused persons or detainees in police custody ;
(b) ensure that police officers assigned to work under the relevant scheme provide necessary assistance as may be required by legal counsel ; and

(c) for the purposes of performing the functions under this section,. submit to the Attorney-General of the Federation and National Assembly an annual report on how those responsibilities referred to under section 5 (2) of this Act are discharged.

(3) The Attorney-General of the Federation shall, after a review of the annual report received, send his findings and recommendations to the President and publish same in his official website.

(4) The Inspector-General of Police shall by order published in the Federal Government Gazette make detailed provisions and specifications for the establishment and proper working of the schemes or mechanisms under section 5 of this Act.

(5) The Inspector-General of Police shall, in performing his functions under this Act, obtain inputs from the Deputy Inspectors-General and Assistant Inspectors-General of the Zonal Commands on the priority areas of policing
for the Zones and incorporate submissions from Commissioners of Police of the States to be included in the overall national strategic plan for the next succeeding financial year.

(6) The Inspector-General of Police may-
(a) re-engage a retired police officer for a period of two years ; and
(b) upon application by the retired police officer, re-engage him for another period of two years.