Big win for NBA as court orders IGP to deploy lawyers in every police division
The National Industrial Court in Abuja has delivered a landmark judgment defining the boundaries of legal practice within the law enforcement sector, ordering the immediate deployment of legally qualified police officers to all Police Divisions across the country.
The judgment, delivered on Friday, July 10, 2026, follows a public interest lawsuit instituted by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) against the Police Service Commission (PSC) and five others in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/264/2025.
Filed through the NBA’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), the action sought a definitive judicial interpretation of the Police Act 2020 and the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023 regarding the status and deployment of lawyers serving in the force.
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In the ruling, the court drew a sharp line between general police duties and formal legal roles, declaring that police officers who are lawyers but have not been officially appointed or upgraded as Legal Officers cannot perform such duties within the Nigeria Police Force, except for carrying out legally permitted criminal prosecutions.
Consequentially, the court restrained affected officers from parading themselves as Legal Officers or taking on responsibilities designated for that office unless authorized by law.
Crucially, the court upheld the provisions of Section 66(3) of the Police Act 2020, ruling that the Police Service Commission, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Inspector-General of Police are under a mandatory statutory obligation to deploy at least one legally qualified police officer to every single Police Division in Nigeria to ensure human rights compliance.
NBA reacts to the judgment
Reacting to the development in a statement issued to members, the President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, described the verdict as a historic triumph for statutory compliance, professionalism, and the rule of law.
”This decision affirms the indispensable role of legal practitioners within law enforcement institutions and strengthens the framework for the protection of constitutional rights through improved legal oversight at the divisional level,” Osigwe stated.
While the court did not grant all of the NBA’s prayers—most notably denying the request for the automatic upgrade of police lawyers to the rank of Superintendent of Police—Osigwe maintained that the verdict is a massive victory for the profession.
”Although the Court did not grant all the reliefs sought by the Association… the judgment represents a significant advancement in the development of legal practice within the Nigeria Police Force,” he noted.
The NBA president commended the leadership of SPIDEL, particularly the Chairman of the SPIDEL Public Interest Litigation Committee, Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, SAN, alongside the legal team for their commitment to the public interest.
Moving forward, Osigwe assured that the NBA will closely monitor the execution of the judgment to ensure total compliance by the police hierarchy.
”The Association will carefully review the judgment, monitor its implementation, and take such further steps as may be necessary to ensure that its objectives are fully realised in accordance with the law,” the statement concluded.
