The Limits of the Exercise of Police Investigatory and Prosecutorial Powers in Nigeria

Abstract

The act of policing is very important in all societies whether developed or developing countries, due to the onerous task of maintenance of law, order and peace, and of course, the enforcement of security of life and property. Criminal activities over time have become highly sophisticated, multifaceted and diversified, and still advancing with technological development cutting across every strata and level of the society. This has necessitated the government establishing a number of other agencies conscripted to taking over some roles which hitherto exclusively belong to the police. However, in the performance of its constitutional function, the police has been somewhat incapacitated by some form of constitutional and administrative inexigencies, which forms the basis of our study in this article. This paper is divided into seven parts, beginning with an introduction and ends with a conclusion and recommendations. It examines how the establishment of these specialised agencies and the constitutional protection from prosecution of certain political office holders have incapacitated and impinged the exercise of the police traditional functions of investigation and prosecution.

Keywords: Police, Immunity, Limitations, Specialised Agencies, Prosecution.