The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has delivered a landmark judgment barring police officers who are not properly categorized under the legal specialist cadre from representing the Nigeria Police Force in judicial proceedings.

In the lawsuit instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) against the Police Service Commission and five other defendants, the court ruled that the practice of deploying general-duty police officers—even those who have been called to the bar—to perform professional legal duties violates the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners and the Police Establishment Act.

The legal challenge was driven by concerns over systemic irregularities within the police force, where trained lawyers were routinely assigned to standard operational duties and kept in junior ranks like Inspector or Sergeant, while still being utilized to draft legal processes and prosecute cases.

The court agreed with the NBA’s arguments, declaring that any legal actions, assignments, or prosecutions handled by police officers who have not been officially converted or upgraded to the specialist legal cadre are null, void, and of no legal effect.

To rectify these deep-seated structural issues, the court issued an order prohibiting non-specialist police lawyers from appearing in court or filing processes on behalf of the police commands, organs, or departments.

Furthermore, the ruling directed the relevant authorities to formally upgrade all qualified lawyers within the police force to the substantive rank of Superintendent of Police in strict compliance with the Police Establishment Act and Force Orders. The judgment also mandated the strategic deployment of properly designated legal officers across police stations to ensure that all future legal representation and prosecutorial duties are handled strictly by recognized professionals.