By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), have agreed to establish stronger channels of communication to curb recurring confrontations between lawyers and police officers.
The agreement was reached on Tuesday when the NBA President and members of the Association’s National Executive Committee visited the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting focused on strengthening relations between the two key justice-sector institutions, with both sides acknowledging the need for greater professionalism, mutual respect and effective communication in the administration of justice.
Speaking during the visit, Badejo-Okusanya called for closer collaboration between the Police and the legal profession, particularly through specialised training for lawyers and stronger engagement between police lawyers and members of the wider Bar.
She said the NBA had a responsibility to remain responsive to the challenges confronting its members across the country, while urging both professions to move away from recurring confrontations.
According to her, “both professions have complementary responsibilities within the justice system,” making closer cooperation essential for effective justice delivery.
The NBA President also highlighted a UNICEF-supported initiative aimed at improving children’s access to justice, under which the Association is proposing the deployment of a police lawyer to every police station.
She said the proposal would help ensure that children who come into contact with the juvenile justice system receive appropriate legal support and protection throughout the justice process.
The initiative, she added, underscored the need to provide adequate support for vulnerable children rather than leave them without proper legal assistance when they encounter the criminal justice system.
Responding, Disu congratulated Badejo-Okusanya on her emergence as NBA President and described the engagement as an opportunity to build a stronger and more structured relationship between the Nigeria Police Force and the legal profession.
The IGP stressed that respect for every individual, office and profession must remain fundamental to professional interactions.
He said, “while lawyers are principally concerned with protecting citizens’ rights and the Police with protecting lives and property, the responsibilities of both institutions converge in the administration of justice.”
Disu also called for greater professionalism and responsibility in the recording and dissemination of encounters involving police officers.
He expressed concern over situations in which officers carrying out their duties under difficult circumstances are recorded, subjected to public ridicule or have their actions reduced to social media entertainment.
The IGP stressed that “personnel should not be subjected to ridicule or have the demanding circumstances of their duties trivialised for social media entertainment,” particularly when officers are operating under challenging conditions while discharging their constitutional responsibilities to protect lives and property.
Beyond police-lawyer confrontations, Disu identified delays in criminal trials as another area requiring joint action by the two institutions.
He proposed the establishment of a dedicated Nigeria Police Force/NBA mechanism to facilitate seamless and open communication between both sides.
According to the IGP, such a mechanism would provide a structured channel through which professional concerns could be raised and resolved before escalating into unnecessary confrontations.
He identified improved professional engagement, measures to reduce delays in criminal trials and the establishment of the dedicated communication mechanism as key areas requiring sustained collaboration between the Police and the NBA.
Disu acknowledged that disagreements between lawyers and police officers could arise in the course of their respective duties, but insisted that such differences must be handled professionally.
The IGP said such disagreements “must be managed professionally, respectfully and with civility,” stressing the need for both institutions to recognise their shared role in the administration of justice.
He expressed his readiness to work with the new NBA leadership to build a stronger and more productive partnership between the Police and the legal profession.
The meeting comes amid longstanding concerns over friction between lawyers and law enforcement officers, particularly during arrests, investigations, detention and access to suspects.
Both institutions agreed that stronger professional engagement and open communication could help protect fundamental rights, reduce unnecessary confrontations and improve the efficiency of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the NBA and other justice-sector stakeholders to protect fundamental rights, improve access to justice, promote professionalism and build a more effective, responsive and trusted criminal justice system.