ABSTRACT
In every given society, there is the necessity of maintenance of law and order at every given time. Therefore the institutionalization of security agencies viz; The Police, Army, Naval force, Air force and so on. These agencies are attributed varying functions and purposes which include policing the nation’s internal and external space in the air, land and seas; investigation, protection of lives and property of the citizens and the utmost interests of the nation.
In most societies including Nigeria, the most vital of the security agencies is its Police Force as it combines a number of investigative, military and custodial functions in a bid to keep the peace while maintaining law and order. However, there has in recent years been too often ultra vires cases (action beyond scope of stated powers), such as illegal arrests and detention in police custody, unlawful assault on innocent citizens, wrongful extortion and lastly yet most disturbingly- extrajudicial killings (usually hidden under the guise of accidental discharge); which is the crux of this essay. These heinous acts have though often reported and wailed about through the media, gone uncontained and rarely ever are serious sanctions laid on those found wanting to serve as deterrents to their counterparts. Till the date of this essay, the most regular of punishments given to such officers after said investigations is a mere dismissal from duty and nothing more. Even less assuring is the Nigerian government’s persistence on the position that it does not condone any of such actions without severe punishments being dealt out to such miscreants who adorn themselves with the colours of our security outfits as it seems little or nothing is being done to bring these acts to an end. The purpose of this paper is therefore to implore the Nigerian government to take more steps that would discourage such occurrences and engender the protection of the lives of its citizenry through thorough legislation, few recommendations of this essay work and other rules of engagement such as the revised Order 237.
