Tenure extension for police IG till 2027, law and amendment of di police Act?

Nigeria lawmakers don officially pass di Police Amendment bill dis week.

So wetin dis new amendment bill mean for di police force? We go explain eviritin inside dis tori.

Nigeria Police force na di principal law enforcement agency for di kontri.

Wetin be di new police amendment bill?

Dis new bill wey lawmakers pass go amend di Nigeria Police Act, 2020.

And di part dem dey amend na di tenure of di Inspector general of police.

According to di new bill any pesin wey dem appoint as IGP go remain for office until di end of im tenure for im letter of appointment.

So wetin di lawmakers do? Dem amend Section 18 of di Police Act to create one new subsection wey go guarantee a four-year tenure for IGPs, regardless of di public service rules.

For di principal Act, Section 18(8) e tok say: “Evri police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve for Nigeria Police Force for a period of 35 years or until dem reach di age of 60 years, whichever one come first.”

Based on Section 18(8) of di Police Act 2020 - di current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, wey dem born for September 4, 1964, bin dey expected to retire for September 2024, wen im turn 60 years.

Now tins don change, for Section 7 of di Police Act e tok say di IGP go serve a tenure of four years.

Wit di amendment now, Inspectors General of Police go dey for dat position for a minimum of four years, even if di period go beyond di current limits of 35 years of service or dem don pass di age of 60.

President Tinubu dey expected to sign di Bill into law.

Once di Nigerian leader sign am into law e mean say, Oga Egbetokun, wey collect appointment for June 2023 go remain for office until June 2027 at di age of 63 unless di president remove am.

'Lawmakers no break law for di amendment of di police act'

Di constitution give lawmakers power to amend any law once dem dim am fit whether or not na pesin or institution push for am.

Dat na wetin Kabiru Bala, one lawyer for Abuja tell BBC Pidgin.

''Di lawmakers no break any law for di amendment of di police act''. Bala tok

"National assembly procedure for passing bill fit take di form of public hearing or dem fit just pass di bill inside di chambers. Either way e no go affect di validity of di bill", Bala add put.

Also Bala say di council of state no really get power for dis mata onto say dia role dey limited to just advise on di appointment of di Inspector general of police.

Dis latest move by lawmakers to sharpaly amend di law dey make plenty pipo tok.

But dis no be di first time wey dis police tenure mata dem come up.

Oda IGPs don attempt to enforce Section 7 of di Police Act but dem fail.

For 2021, former IGP Mohammed Adamu bin try to extend im stay for office.

Oga Adamu argue im case for Federal High Court say di new Nigeria Police Act give am a four-year tenure wey for end for 2024.

According to him, im tenure go lapse for 2023 if dem count am from 2019, wen dem appoint am as IGP, or for 2024 if dem count am from 2020, wen dem begin use di new Nigeria Police Act.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari bin give di den IGP three-month tenure extension but later sack am before e expire sake of protests by civil society organisations.

For Bala e say di implication of dis amendment na say ''di appointment of di inspector general of police go dey highly politicised. Di loyalty of of whoever dey dat seat go dey compromised in favour of di president''.

'Fast passage of bill no be strange tin'

Di lawmaker wey dey represent Kano South Senatorial District, Kawu Sumaila, tell BBC Pidgin say no be strange tin for dem to pass bill fast fast as dem do wit di Police Act Amendment bill and also di New Minimum Wage bill.

Oga Sumaila tok say: "E no too dey new for our system. We fit do am sake of some circumstances. We fit suspend our rules and pass bill wey we think say e dey important. E dey very normal and usual."

E further explain say Nigerian lawmakers go soon close for annual recess and bicos di two bills dey important, dem gatz dey di senate chambers reach 7pm dat day to deliberate and pass di bills.

"As for di Police Act Amendmenment, we give am accelerated hearing sake of di day for di retirement of di police IGP don dey near. Dat na di only reason, bicos if we wait (until we come bak from recess) di time go don lapse," e tok.