Section 96 Nigeria Police Act

Section 96 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 is about Offences by a police officer. It is under Part XII (Offences) of the Act. It provides as follows:

(1) A police officer who-
(a) begins, raises, abets, countenances, or excites mutiny ;
(b) causes or joins in any sedition or disturbance of any nature whatsoever ;
(c) being at an assembly tending to riot, does not use his utmost endeavour to suppress the assembly ;

(d) coming to the knowledge of any mutiny, or intended mutiny does not without delay give information of the mutiny to his superior officer ;
(e) strikes or offers any violence to his superior officer, while in the
execution of his duty ;
(f) deserts or aids or abets the deset1ion of an officer from the Nigeria Police ;
(g) on enlistment falsely states that he-
(i) has not been convicted or imprisoned for a criminal offence, or
(ii) was never employed by the Government of the Federation or of a State ;

(h) fails to come to the aid or to assist any person in need of assistance at the time of distress-
(i) shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the police disciplinary mechanisms, and
(ii) if found liable, shall be recommended for dismissal and charged to court for prosecution in accordance with the relevant laws in force.

(2) A police officer shall not, in discharging his duty-
(a) discriminate against a person in Nigeria, based on the person’s­
(i) place of origin,
(ii) gender,
(iii) socio-economic status,
(iv) ethnic, political or religious affiliation, or
(v) any form of disability, and

(b) use a language, or act in such a way that suggests a bias towards a particular group.

(3) A police officer may be proceeded against for desertion without reference to the time during which he may have been absent, and may be found guilty, either of desertion or of absence without leave.

(4) A pol ice officer shall not be convicted as a deserter or of attempting to desert unless the court is satisfied that there was an intention on the part of the officer either not to return to the Police Force, or to escape some particular important service.

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