According to a video posted on the official Twitter account of the Nigeria Police Force on Saturday, officers have the right to arrest individuals without an arrest warrant, except in certain special cases. Olumiyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, made this clear and also distinguished between an invitation and an arrest.
The police force employs two methods of bringing people in for questioning: an invitation and an arrest. Adejobi explained that an invitation is when an officer goes to the person’s location and requests that they accompany the officer to the police station. The officer will present their ID card and inform the individual that they are needed at the station to clarify some issues. An invitation is not an arrest.
On the other hand, an arrest is when an officer takes an individual into custody, and they must follow the officer to the police station. In most cases, the law requires that the officer informs the individual why they are being arrested. However, in some circumstances, the officer may use their discretion to determine whether to explain the situation to the individual or not. The officer might explain the reason for the arrest if the circumstances are not too tense. Still, there are cases where the officer will not tell the individual the reason for the arrest.
Adejobi emphasized that regardless of whether the officer explains the reason for the arrest or not, the officer has the power to arrest the individual. In most cases, the officer does not need a warrant to arrest someone for a felonious offense. However, there are some exceptions where the law requires the police to have a warrant before arresting someone. These cases include false assumption of office, abuse of office, bargaining for office in public service, and fabricating evidence.
In conclusion, the Nigeria Police Force reserves the right to arrest individuals without an arrest warrant, except in cases where the law requires them to have one.
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