Section 50 Nigeria Police Act

Section 50 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 is about Action before a search takes place. It is under Part VII (Powers of Police Officers) of the Act. It provides as follows:

(1) Where a police officer is exercising the powers under section 51 of this Act he shall, before carrying out the search, question the person about his behaviour or his presence in circumstances which gave rise to the suspicion.

(2) If the person to be searched has a satisfactory explanation which makes a search unnecessary or other circumstances come to the attention of the police officer that make the search unnecessary, no search may take place.

(3) Before any search of a detained person or vehicle may take place, the officer shall give the person to be searched or in charge of the vehicle–
(a) his name and the name ofthe police station to which he is attached ;
(b) the object of the search ; and
(c) his grounds or authorisation for undertaking the search.

(4) For any police officer to exercise the power to stop and search, he shall be in uniform or wear visibly a valid police identity card.