Connect with us

General

Nigerian Police Have Not Used Fingerprints in 53 Years—Fola Arthur-Worrey

Published

on

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The reluctance of Nigerian policemen to conduct proper basic investigations into criminal cases is a major reason they drag unnecessarily, and in many instances, get dismissed on grounds of lack of diligent prosecution, a former Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and Solicitor-General of Lagos State, Mr Fola Arthur-Worrey has said.

He said that police officers were so accustomed to not going through the standard investigative process that all efforts to change their approach to doing things the right way have failed so far.

Addressing students at the launch of The Halogen School of Security Management & Technology, (HSSM&T)’s maiden Professional MBA in Security Management programme, (in partnership with Babcock University) the ex-prosecutor said, “The standard approach when someone is arrested is you take his photograph, then you take his fingerprints and then his height for the purpose of identification but I was DPP for two years and I didn’t see a single photograph in any file which I thought was weird.

“How do you find out whether this person has been involved in a prior for example? The most fundamental element of criminal investigation, is fingerprinting yet the last case where fingerprints were used to convict in a Nigerian court was in 1964.

“This was the case of a burglar who left his fingerprints on the louvre of the house he went to burgle. We have tried to get the Police to use anything, even if it’s the old model of pads and paper to document fingerprints but they just don’t want it anymore.”

Mr Arthur-Worrey decried the dearth of experts in the force, noting that it wasn’t always this bad with Nigerian Policemen as he recalled with nostalgia, his days as a public prosecutor in Lagos when according to him, Police Officers carried out their duties wonderfully.

He said, “We had wonderful experts in every field. We had great facilities like the lab in Oshodi which I relied on when I was a prosecutor in the early eighties. They were good at blood work, they were good at pathology and they knew their stuff. Then the Police had the best ballistician, I knew a guy who was a handwriting analyst, trained in Wales, he used to come to court in his blazer and he just used to intimidate the defense counsel. He was just good.

“Nobody does ballistics anymore. When last did you hear of a case that involved ballistics, unlike Oscar Pistorious’ case where the emphasis was on the science of it. It underscores the damage being done by the conflation of security with law enforcement.”

He commended the HSSM&T for taking the initiative as the first to offer a Master’s degree in Security Management in a University setting. He noted that programmes uniquely tailored to solve problems of security and law enforcement were long overdue as Nigerians could simply no longer depend on the Police alone.

He also urged the Halogen Security Company to go a step further as industry leaders to offer professional support to the Police in law enforcement through the deployment of different levels of scientific private detective strategies including fingerprint lifting/analysis, surveillance, evidence collection and preservation and many more.

Tracing the origin of the decline in Police efficiency, Mr Arthur-Worrey averred that the root of the problem was the military rule, which paid more attention to ‘regime security’, undermining the critical element of law enforcement in the process. This, he said, has systematically eroded the capacity of Nigerian policemen over the years.

“We eroded police capacity because of military rule, and its own perception of security and its inability to distinguish between security and law enforcement. This is a critical understanding.

“When we say national security in Africa, we mean to say ‘regime security’, they’re not really concerned with the regular people so all the resources go to the regime security which is why the convoy culture has become so dominant, taking one third of armed policemen off the streets into the houses, vehicles etcetera of not just the politically exposed persons (PEPs) but also private people, Chinese etc. Some people can just wander into the CP’s office and say ‘I need a policeman’ he will quickly acquiesce and those policemen love it. This is a deemphasise on law enforcement which is a very demanding, meticulous area that leads to convictions in court,” Mr Arthur-Worrey submitted.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

General

Pastor Ogbueli’s Abuja Night of Glory Holds Today

Published

on

Abuja Night of Glory

By Blaise Udunze

Momentum is gathering for the Abuja Night of Glory taking place today, Friday, December 5, 2025, at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

The crusade is being hosted by Dominion City Church headed by Pastor David Ogbueli and it starts by 7pm.

The all-night programme will feature dynamic worship leaders like Nathanial Bassey, Dunsin Oyekan, Theophilus Sunday, Chioma Jesus, Kaestrings, Sunmisola Agbebi Okeleye, Minister GUC, Ebuka Songs, Anthony Kani, and DC Angels.

Reputed as a teacher of righteousness and anointed minister of the gospel, evidenced by the miracles that have trailed his ministry, and one who champions the cause of the poor through empowerment initiatives, Dr. David Ogbueli will be joined by renowned ministers from within and outside Nigeria, including Evangelist Andres Bisonni, Dr. Charles Ndifon, Evangelist Dan Scott, Apostle Ikechukwu Nnajiofor, and several others.

Night of Glory has, in previous editions held across Nigeria’s cities, recorded remarkable results, such as immediate healings and freedom from chronic ailments, recovery of vision and movement after many years of paralysis, along with liberation from dependencies and emotional distress. Numerous participants have also shared testimonies of breakthroughs and big personal changes after the experience. Organisers state that this year’s event, in Abuja, is anticipated to exceed previous editions.

The event is intended for all individuals trusting God for divine intervention in any area of life.

Understanding the role of faith in the destiny of individuals and nations, a dedicated prayer session for Nigeria will take place during the crusade to tackle some of the current challenges being faced in the country and also to uplift he leaders and institutions before God.

Attendance is free, and registration is encouraged via the QR codes on event banners. Organisers expect a massive turnout as worshippers travel from across the country for what is anticipated to be a transformative encounter.

Adequate security and free transportation have been put in place ALL over the city of Abuja, while those outside Abuja are expected to join online.

Continue Reading

General

Rivers Speaker, 15 Other Lawmakers Leave PDP for APC

Published

on

rivers speaker Martin Amaewhule defect

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Martin Amaewhule, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At the plenary on Friday, Mr Amaewhule joined the ruling party from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), along with 15 other members of the state parliament.

This development comes some months after they had earlier declared their support for the APC in the wake of a crisis with the state governor, Mr Sim Fubura.

The lawmakers had an issue with Mr Fubura, which led to a state of emergency declared on the oil-rich state by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025.

This embargo was only lift in September 2025 after the duration of the six-month emergency rule in the state.

A few days ago, members of the Rivers Assembly passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu, backing him to remain in office till 2031, when he would have spent eight years in office if re-elected in 2027.

Announcing their defection today, the lawmakers pinned their decision on the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level.

It is not certain if their political godfather, Mr Nyesom Wike, who is the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will join them in APC.

Mr Wike, who governed Rivers State from 2015 to 2023, has been accused of instigating the crisis in the opposition PDP. He was expelled from the party last month at a national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Continue Reading

General

Nigeria Risks Brain Drain in Energy Sector—PENGASSAN

Published

on

energy sector

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has warned that Nigeria risks massive brain drain in the oil and gas sector due to poor remuneration.

The president of PENGASSAN, Mr Festus Osifo, said at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union on Thursday in Abuja that the industry was facing challenges arising from Naira devaluation and inflation, noting that, oil and gas skills remained globally competitive.

Painting an example, he said, “A drilling engineer in Nigeria does the same job as one in the US or Abu Dhabi,” noting that the union must take steps to bridge the wage gap to prevent members from leaving the country for better opportunities abroad.

“If we don’t act, the brain drain seen in other sectors will be child’s play,” he said.

According to him, PENGASSAN has recorded significant gains through collective bargaining across oil and gas branches.

“We signed numerous agreements across government agencies, IOCs, service and marketing sectors,” he said.

He said the agreements brought relief to members facing rising costs of living, adding that, the association’s duty is to protect members’ jobs and enhance their pay.

Mr Osifo urged companies delaying salary reviews and those foot-dragging as a result of the prevailing economic realities, to do the needful.

He said the industry employed some of the nation’s best talents, making competitive pay critical to retaining skilled workers.

“This industry recruits the best. Companies must provide the best conditions,” he said.

On insecurity, Mr Osifo urged government to take decisive action against terrorism and kidnappings across the country.

“We are tired of condemnations. government must expose sponsors and protect citizens,” he said.

He urged government at all levels to prioritise tackling insecurity through better funding and equipment for security agencies.

Mr Osifo said PENGASSAN supported calls for state police to improve local security response, adding that decentralising policing will protect citizens better than rhetoric.

He also said economic indicators meant little, if food prices remained high and farmers could not return to farms due to insecurity.

“Nigerians want to see food on the table, not macroeconomic figures,” he said, urging the government to coordinate fiscal and monetary policies to ensure economic gains reach households.

Continue Reading

Trending