Reps summon IGP, NSCDC CG over plain-clothed operatives at checkpoints

The House of Representatives on Thursday mandated its Committees on Police Affairs and Interior to summon the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to explain why plain-clothed and unidentifiable security operatives man checkpoints across the South East and South South […]

The House of Representatives on Thursday mandated its Committees on Police Affairs and Interior to summon the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to explain why plain-clothed and unidentifiable security operatives man checkpoints across the South East and South South regions.

This followed a motion by Rep. Ibe Okwara Osonwa, who described the practice as a national security risk and a gross violation of operational protocols.

Osonwa noted that the Nigerian Police Act, 2020, and other relevant operational guidelines mandate officers to wear proper uniforms and carry visible identification to ensure accountability, transparency, and the protection of citizens’ rights.

The lawmaker warned that the rising presence of unidentifiable security operatives at checkpoints creates a dangerous climate of ambiguity, making it difficult for citizens to distinguish between genuine security personnel and criminal impersonators, especially amid rising insecurity in both regions.

“The gross lack of proper identification at checkpoints poses a severe risk to national security and public safety,” he said, adding that the situation has also fuelled extortion, harassment, and abuse of power by errant officers who are difficult to trace or discipline due to the absence of proper identification.

The House directed the IGP and the NSCDC Commandant-General to enforce strict compliance with existing rules requiring all officers on checkpoints, patrols, and stop-and-search duties to appear in full official uniform with clearly visible ranks, names, and identification tags.