The Nigeria police is regarded as the oldest security institution in Nigeria. Record shows “the first police force was established in 1861 by the British colonial administration in the territories known today as Nigeria. The 100-man contingent was essentially a consular protection force based in Lagos, which later became known as the ‘Hausa Force,’ so named after the ethnicity of the men recruited into the unit.”
Record further shows that the British expanded their reach to the east and north, they formed additional police forces, comprised largely of recruits from outside the communities in which they were to be deployed.
Today, after over a hundred years and having been ruled by 15 Muslim Inspectors-General of Police (IGPs) and six Christian IGPs, with no record of any of them putting religion into consideration while implementing policies that affect the police uniform, things are changing.
Many observers were, therefore, flabbergasted when the acting police public relations officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, quoted the IGP, Usman Alkali Baba, as directing a change of uniform, with consideration for officers’ religions. In a press statement titled “Policewomen dressing: Adoptied, approved in line with international best practices,” the police said the service “has approved a new and improved dress code for women officers, which permits them to wear stud earrings, and headscarf under their berets or peak caps, as the case may be, while in uniform. The dress code was unveiled at the IGP’s meeting with strategic police managers on March 3, 2022.”
“The IGP noted that the Nigeria Police workforce has officers from every local government in the country with a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, and an increased inclusion of female folks. This, therefore, brings the need to guarantee inclusion, gender mainstreaming, ethnic and religious diversity in the workplace for optimum output and professionalism.
“This has informed the improvement for effective global workforce diversity management. Other countries that have adopted same dress code include Canada, the United States of America, Sweden, Turkey, Australia and the United Kingdom, among others.”
The statement further noted “the dress code is optional and senior women police officers have been tasked by the IGP to ensure compliance with the approved standard for women police officers who have opted to adopt the dress code.
“The Inspector-General of Police noted that this development, which is in line with international best practices, addresses the growing concern for gender mainstreaming and respect for culture and diversity.”
The well known black-upon-black uniform of the police in the early 1960s was criticized by many, including medical and human right activists, that wearing a black uniform in the sun was inclement and not healthy for the personnel’s health. Interestingly, the IGP who last effected a police uniform change was M.D. Abubakar. Then, there was no religious nor ethnic consideration, except by popular demand, based on weather and health considerations.
The blue-on-black variant of the NPF uniform was very appropriate. It should be noted that M.D. Abubakar hailed from Zamfara and he practiced Islam. By 2012 when M.D. Abubakar officially changed the police uniform, the countries Alkali Baba made reference to were are still using the same uniform that they were known and associated with all these years till date.
The big question is, why infuse ethnic and religious coloration to police dress code? This portends very dangerous and divisive tendencies that are capable of injecting bad blood in the police community. Is the IGP trying to blaze the trail for other security agencies to tag along soon?
The Constitution avoided such unnecessary introduction of ethnicity and religion because the police is a disciplined institution that should not be driven by either ethnicity or religious biases. Both have the tendency to spark controversy.
Another question is, how come IGP Alkali Baba could not see other very important and pressing needs of the Nigeria Police that made the police in those countries of reference very outstanding, except religious uniform?
How come he did not notice that police personnel in Nigeria under his leadership were almost ranked among the last three in Africa in every sense of what policing is all about in terms of uniform provision, equipment, welfare and other logistics and renumeration, yet the only issue of concern to Alkali Baba is a religious uniform, at a time when the police are losing nearly all relevance?
No wonder, all that concerns Alkali Baba is the female police dressing, not how almost all known police duties are gradually being taken over by other sister agencies. Alkali Baba is not concerning himself about the high number of police being killed under his leadership by bandits, thugs, kidnappers and, lately, armed robbers across the country. Alkali Baba, who ought to seriously concern himself about the dwindling morale of police officers and find lasting solutions to the myriads of problems facing the entire police system.
Virtually every facet of the police system is either collapsing or shrinking. In 2008, this writer was the managing editor of a very flourishing police national newspaper, which I founded. The newspaper was very educative and informative, circulating across the country and beyond our borders, and even won the best security newspaper award from the European Union and United Nations.
Today, under Alkali Baba’s leadership, the once-sizzling weekly newspaper has shrunk into inexistence. Iy is the same with many other police activities. One would have applauded the IGP, if the news was about ensuring that police were out of the controversial pension scheme. Had the IGP even directed and set out a day for prayer for the police’s problems, such an idea would have been commendable.
One would have been happy, had the IGP been able to think out better ways to ensure that the police are comfortable, with patrol vehicles in all the divisional, state and zonal police commands not the pitiful situation where members of the public have had to assist the police with their vehicles to carry out operational duties. The latest exhibition by the IGP clearly shows that his tenure needs to be overhauled.
What this clearly portends is that the call for state policing is very apparent. Because it is only in a state police system that Alkali Baba’s innovation can be well implemented. For example, if a state is 100 per Muslim, then such a dress code would not be out of place.
Nigeria is not a Muslim state, so also is the police. Therefore, it makes no sense to introduce religious traditions, knowing fully well that the police institution already has a dress code that is suitable for its personnel. This idea should not be allowed to stand.