The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has instituted a legal action at the National Industrial Court, Abuja, to challenge what it describes as the “unjust and undue delay” in the conversion and promotion of legal practitioners serving in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to the specialist cadre, as mandated by law.
The suit, filed on Thursday, September 3, 2025, through the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), seeks to enforce compliance with Section 18 (9) and (11) of the Nigeria Police Force Establishment Act 2020 and Force Order 137 of the Ratified Force Order 2013.
For years, lawyers enlisted in the Police Force — whether called to the Bar before enlistment or while in service with the permission of the Police — have remained in general duty roles and denied conversion to the specialist cadre in law. This denial has also deprived them of the accelerated promotion due under the law, particularly the automatic upgrade from junior ranks such as Corporal, Sergeant, or Inspector to the substantive rank of Superintendent of Police (SP).
SPIDEL noted that, this practice stands in sharp contrast to the treatment of other professionals within the Force, such as doctors, engineers, accountants, and aviation experts, who enjoy seamless conversion and promotion into specialist cadres.
“Lawyers in the Police Force continue to suffer the indignity of wearing very junior ranks while appearing in all strata of courts, prosecuting and defending cases for the Police, and performing other legal duties,” the Association said, describing the practice as discriminatory, demeaning, and an affront to the dignity of the legal profession.
The NBA noted that past administrations of the Association had made efforts to resolve the issue amicably, but with no progress achieved. “Having exhausted administrative remedies, we can no longer in good conscience condone this injustice,” it declared.
In the suit, filed as NICN/ABJ/264/2025: Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. Police Service Commission & 5 Ors, the NBA is seeking several reliefs, including:
“An order of court compelling the Defendants to forthwith upgrade all junior police officers who are lawyers to the substantive rank of Superintendent of Police and who before now were used/deployed as legal officers for the Defendants.”
Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN, Chairman of SPIDEL, commended the Section’s Public Interest Litigation Committee led by Mr. Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, SAN, for spearheading the action.
As the matter awaits assignment to a judge, the NBA has urged all parties to respect the judicial process, desist from harassing lawyers in the Police Force, and allow the courts to determine the dispute.
Read the full statement below
UNJUST AND UNDUE DELAY IN THE CONVERSION AND PROMOTION OF LEGAL PRACTITIONERS IN THE EMPLOY OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE TO SPECIALIST CADRE: THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION INSTITUTES ACTION TO COMPEL COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 18 (9) AND (11) OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE ESTABLISHMENT ACT 2020 AND FORCE ORDER 137 OF THE RATIFIED FORCE ORDER 2013.
A core mandate of the Nigerian Bar Association is the promotion of the welfare of its members, the imperative to ensure that the welfare and interest of members is adequately catered for necessitated the establishment of several fora under the NBA including the Police Lawyers Forum which comprises all persons called to the Nigerian Bar enlisted as officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force.
While some persons joined the Nigerian Police Force as qualified lawyers, some became lawyers with the permission of the Nigeria Police Force while they were already enlisted into and serving in the Nigeria Police Force, in which case upon being called to the Nigerian Bar, the law requires that they ought to have been automatically converted from general duty services to specialist cadre in the field of law in accordance with the provisions of Section 18 (9) and (11) of the Nigeria Police Force (Establishment) Act 2020 and the Force Order 137 of the Ratified Force Order 2013 issued under the hand of the Inspector General of Police.
With conversion to specialist duty, the officers would be entitled to promotion from the junior ranks of Inspector, Sergeant, Corporal, etc, to Superintendent of Police (SP).
However, despite the subsistence of the relevant legislation and Force Order, legal practitioners enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force have been, for many years, unjustly denied conversion from general duty services to specialist cadre and consequently, lawyers in the Police Force continued to wear junior ranks for many years even while appearing in all strata of courts of law prosecuting and defending cases for the Nigeria Police Force and performing other legal functions.
The situation is more concerning because professionals in other disciplines such as medicine, engineering, accountancy, aviation and others enjoy accelerated and regular conversion from general duty services to the specialist cadre. The rationale for the discrimination against lawyers in the police remains unfathomable.
Despite efforts made by past NBA administrations to resolve this issue using amicable means, no progress has been achieved. Yet, members of the legal profession in the Nigeria Police Force continue to bear the shame of wearing very junior and demeaning ranks and being subjected to general and common duties while at the same time being used by the same Police authorities to perform legal duties contrary to the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct, having not been employed from the onset as legal officers. This to say the least, is an assault on the dignity and nobility of the legal profession, reeks of double standards and can no longer in good conscience be condoned, moving forward.
Having exhausted available means to ensure an administrative reversal of this injustice against lawyers in the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Bar Association through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) on Thursday the 3rd day of September 2025 instituted an action before the National Industrial Court, Abuja in Suit No: NICN/ABJ/264/2025 between: The Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. Police Service Commission & 5 Ors praying the court for several crucial reliefs including:
“An order of court compelling the Defendants to forthwith upgrade all junior police officers who are lawyers to the substantive rank of (Superintendent of Police) and who before now were used/deployed as legal officers for the Defendants.”
We wish to specially acknowledge the Section’s Public Interest Litigation Committee chaired by Mr. Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, SAN whose proactive efforts were responsible for the accomplishment of this task.
As we await the assignment of the suit to a Judge, we urge all parties to the suit to respect the judicial process, stop the harrassment of lawyers in the Police Force and await the decision of the court in good faith.
Prof Paul Ananaba, SAN
Chairman,
NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law
The NBA’s action is a push for fairness, ensuring police lawyers get the recognition and promotion their qualifications deserve.