Section 68 Nigeria Police Act

Section 68 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 is about Power to take fingerprints. It is under Part VII (Powers of Police Officers) of the Act. It provides as follows:

(1) A police officer shall take and record for the purposes of identification the measurements, photographs and fingerprint impression of all persons who may be in lawful custody.

(2) Where a person who has not previously been convicted of any criminal offence is discharged or acquitted by a court, all records relating to such measurements, photographs and fingerprint impressions including the document of acquittal or discharge shall be stored in a retrievable form and handed over to such person upon request.

(3) A police officer shall apply to a court to compel any person in lawful custody, who refuses to submit to the taking and recording of his measurements, photographs or fingerprint impressions, to submit himself.

(4) Subject to subsection (3), the court may authorise a police officer to take the measurements, photographs and finger-print impressions of such person.