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Aishat Yesufu Questions Nigeria Police on Duty of Care Act as Refusal to Assist Officers Becomes a Legal Offence

Published by Tope Fakinlede on January 12th, 2025.

Aishat Yesufu Questions Nigeria Police on Duty of Care Act as Refusal to Assist Officers Becomes a Legal Offence

Aishat Yesufu

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has emphasized that refusing to assist police officers who are under assault or facing resistance while performing their duties is a punishable offence under Nigerian law.

In a statement posted on the NPF’s official X account, spokesperson ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi clarified that not only is obstructing or resisting a public officer in the course of their duties illegal, but failure to provide aid when officers are in danger also constitutes a criminal act.

The post, titled “Know The Law and Be Guided,” follows the circulation of videos showing instances of physical confrontations between police officers and civilians. One video depicted a physical altercation between a policeman and an unidentified woman, while another showed a confrontation at a police checkpoint involving two young men and officers.

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Adejobi referenced Section 99 of the Police Act 2020, which mandates that anyone who refuses to assist a police officer who is being assaulted or facing potential harm while on duty can be charged with an offence. The law stipulates that a person who neglects to assist a police officer in such situations could face a fine of N100,000, imprisonment for up to three months, or both, upon conviction.