By Kunle Edun, SAN

The Nigerian Police Force is a creation of law imbued with both constitutional and statutory responsibilities of providing security and protection of lives and properties of all persons devoid of creed, political, tribal, religious and sectional biases. It amounts to an abandonment of responsibilities should the Police fail to provide security for the conduct of the local Government elections in Rivers State, as this may lead to chaos and breakdown of law and order, which is the primary duty of the Police to prevent. The Inspector General of Police and his subordinates are duty bound to ensure the observance of the oath they all swore, to uphold the provisions of the constitution and all laws and carry out their duties without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. Sections 4 and 5 of the Police Act, 2020 mandatorily provide that the Police must provide security for every person and protect lives and properties, and not to create an environment of insecurity.

In July, 2024, the Supreme Court in the case of A G Federation v. A.G. Abia State & Ors. declared in its judgment that all local Governments must be administered by demoratically elected officials, and directed all the States Governments to conduct election into the various elective offices in all the Local Governments in Nigeria within 3 months, pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(1) of the Constitution, 1999 as amended.

All persons and authorities in Nigeria are duty bound to obey and enforce the observance of the Judgments of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, as failure thereof, may amount to contempt. The number 1 law enforcer in Nigeria must not be seen to be acting contrary to a judgment of the apex Court in the land and cause a breach of peace.