Section 55 Nigeria Police Act

Section 55 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 is about Search of place entered by suspect sought to be arrested. It is under Part VII (Powers of Police Officers) of the Act. It provides as follows:

(1) Where a person or police officer acting under a warrant of arrest or otherwise having authority to arrest, has reason to believe that the suspect to be arrested has entered into or is within any house or place, the person residing in or being in charge of the house or place shall, on demand by the police officer or person acting for the police officer, allow him free access to the house or place and afford all reasonable facilities to search the house or place for the suspect sought to be arrested.

(2) Where access to a house or place cannot be obtained under subsection (1 ), the person or police officer may enter the house or place and search it for the suspect to be arrested, and in order to effect an entrance into the house or place, may break open any outer or inner door or window of any house or place, whether that of the suspect to be arrested or of any other person or otherwise effect entry into such house or place, if after notification of his authority and purpose, and demand of admittance duly made, he cannot obtain admittance.

(3) Where the suspect to be arrested enters a house or place in the actual occupancy of another person being a woman who by custom or religious practice does not appear in public, the person making the arrest shall-

(a) before entering the house or place, give notice to the woman that she is at liberty to withdraw ; and

(b) afford her every reasonable opportunity and facility for withdrawing, and may then enter the house or place, but the notice shall not be necessary where the person making the arrest is a woman.