IGP Egbetokun Reiterates: Police Must Not Arrest Over Civil Disputes or Contract Breaches

IGP Egbetokun Reiterates: Police Must Not Arrest Over Civil Disputes or Contract Breaches

By Blessing Eze 



The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has reaffirmed that officers of the Nigeria Police Force must refrain from making arrests in matters strictly relating to civil disputes or breaches of contract, emphasizing that such actions contravene the provisions of the Police Act.

Delivering this directive on Tuesday at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Enugu State, the IGP—represented by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Legal Services, Ohiozoba Ehiede—reminded the Force that Section 32(2) of the Police Act clearly limits the powers of arrest to criminal offences.

Quoting the Act, he stressed: “A person shall not be arrested merely on account of a civil wrong or breach of contract.” He further cautioned against the unlawful practice of detaining individuals in lieu of others, stating, “No one should be arrested for an offence committed by another. For instance, a husband cannot be arrested for an offence allegedly committed by his wife.”

Addressing another critical concern, Egbetokun condemned the practice of policemen demanding “mobilisation fees” before carrying out investigations. He described the act as illegal, unethical, and inconsistent with the values of the Force. “The issue of mobilisation is unknown to the Nigeria Police. Anyone asked to pay money before an investigation is being extorted and should immediately report to the Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU),” he declared, a statement that drew strong applause from the audience of legal practitioners.

The session, themed “Citizens’ Rights and Security Concerns,” also featured other high-profile stakeholders, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Ajayi; leading human rights lawyers Femi Falana (SAN) and Dr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN); and Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN), Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission. The panel, moderated by Babatunde Ogala (SAN), interrogated pressing issues of security, accountability, and the protection of human rights in Nigeria.

Concluding his address, the IGP urged Nigerians to be vigilant and proactive in defending their rights by reporting any unlawful police conduct. He stressed that the Police Force is duty-bound to operate within the framework of the law and uphold the fundamental rights of all citizens.

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