By Peace Udugba
He continued, “Our duty is to uphold the law and maintain public order—not to take sides in civil disputes such as land matters or contractual disagreements.
“We have observed with dismay, the increasing involvement of some police officers in civil matters, especially land issues, under the guise of law enforcement. This is unacceptable.”
The IGP urged citizens to approach the appropriate legal institutions such as the courts and civil dispute resolution bodies for such matters, while directing all police commands and formations to enforce the directive strictly.
He warned that supervisors of any erring officer would also be held accountable to ensure institutional discipline across the ranks.
Officers have no business escorting parties for land recovery, disrupting legally existing occupations, or meddling in civil cases without a demonstrable criminal element.
Every such incident erodes the neutrality of the Force and exposes us to public disrepute. The line must be clear—and any officer who crosses it must face disciplinary consequences.”
