The Nigeria Police Force has declared that officers conducting stop-and-search operations must be in uniform with their names plainly visible.
The Force Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, stated this in a post on his X handle on Monday, while reacting to a video in which four policemen in mufti stopper a driver on Lekki-Epe Express Way.
The cops approached the man to ask for his tinted permission, but he responded by asking for their identification, claiming there was nothing to suggest they were police officers.
But, Adejobi, in his response said the policemen “have been traced to Zone 2 and identified,” adding that “the AIG Zone 2 Lagos is investigating, while the PPRO Zone 2 will speak to it as soon as possible.”
Speaking further, Adejobi said the NPF had ordered that any policeman embarking on routine patrol or stop-and-search must be in uniform, properly dressed, and easily identified.
He maintained that it is not ideal to be on patrol while in mufti, saying policemen misbehave when they know their identities are hidden and unknown.
“You will recall that we have ordered and announced that any policeman embarking on routine patrol or stop and search must be in uniform, properly dressed, and easily identified. It’s not ideal to carry out a stop and search in mufti.
“The audacity to misbehave or carry out unprofessional conduct comes when you know your identity is hidden and unknown. I still reiterate that policemen on stop and search and routine patrol must be in uniform. That is the standard in the police,” Adejobi stated.
He added that “policemen in mufti are supposed to be on surveillance or undercover and not to be seen with long-range guns or rifles.
“This is what our DPOs and HODs should emphasise and enforce to bring sanity and standardisation.”