BRIEFS ON THE RAILWAY POLICE COMMAND ACTIVITIES

CONSTITUTGIONAL ESTABLISHMENT: Section 214 (2) (c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stipulates that:

The National Assembly may make provision for branches of the Nigeria Police Force forming part of the armed forces of the Federation or for the protection of harbours, waterways, railways and airfields.

The constitutional responsibility of the Railway Police Command is protection of life and property in Nigerian Railway Corporation.

Furthermore, Section 4 of Police Act defines the primary duties of the Police which are:

1. Prevention and detection of crimes;
2. The apprehension of offenders;
3. The preservation of law and order;
4. The protection of life and property;
5. The due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged and
6. Shall perform such military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them by or under the authority of this Act or any other Act.

In view of the nature of the railway environment, the Railway Police Command is under obligation to enforce the NRC Act and bye laws. The immediate past Railway District Manager for Lagos District, Mr. Paul Ndibe, in a training workshop organized for Railway Police Officers in year 2007 observes thus:

The essence of establishing a Police Command for the Nigerian Railway Corporation is for purposes of enforcing the peculiar legal requirements for running the railways in terms of its various conditions and procedures established by the Railway Act of 1955 as amended, and the accompanying Nigerian Railway Corporation's bye laws as amended.

Holistically, the responsibilities of the Railway Police Command are the same as any other Police Command, including the enforcement of NRC Act and Bye Laws it is charged with.

FUNCTIONS OF RAILWAY POLICE COMMAND

In order to discharge its constitutional responsibilities, the Railway Police Command undertake:

1. The provision of security and surveillance to train stations and in trains along routes to and from various destinations to protect life and property wherever trains services are rendered;
   
   
2. Anti-crime patrols:
   

• Motorized patrol is carried out day and night within the railway Compound, Ebute-Metta and Lagos District Headquarters. Police patrol is carried out at Agege, Mushin, Iddo and Apapa Divisions. Foot patrol is carried out in Divisions within Enugu, Zaria, Ibadan and Bauchi Area Commands where there are no anti-crime patrol vehicles.
• Protection of NRC properties all over the system;
• Provision of security for expatriates and other foreign nationals operating in the railway areas such as the Chinese;
• Special duty at NRC Liaison Office at Ministers Hill in Abuja and at Owa-Oyibu, Agbor in Delta State.
• Investigation of crimes and accident cases;
• Constant liaison with Nigeria Union of Railway Men (NUR) and other labour unions in the Railway Compound to ensure a harmonious industrial climate and
• Preparation of operation orders in respect of V.I.P's visits and important occasions such as Easter, Id-el Kabir, Id-el Molud, Id-El Fitri, Christmas and New Year celebrations within the railway premises.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OR RAILWAY POLICE COMMAND

In order to carry out the aforesaid functions, a Commissioner of Police is made to head the Railway Police Command. He is assisted by a Deputy Commissioner of Police.

For better organization and well coordinated activities in the Command, Assistant Commissioners of Police are posted to man 'A' 'B' and 'D' Departments at the Command Headquarters in Ebute-Metta, Lagos. For the purpose of administrative convenience, the Railway Police Command is subdivided into five Area Commands. Assistant Commissioners of Police are deployed to man these Area Commands with headquarters in Enugu, Zaria, Ibadan, Bauchi and Ebute-Metta Junction (EBJ).

Appendix 'A' provides a bird's eye view of the organizational structure of Railway Police Command.

The Area Commanders coordinates policing of Police Divisions and Posts in their areas in collaboration with their Railway District Managers and reports to the Commissioner of Police who in turn collaborates with the Chairman and Managing Director of NRC and briefs the Inpsector Genral of Police through the DIG 'A'.

RAILWAY POLICE AREA COMMAND HEADQUARTERS AND THEIR DIVISIONS

The Area Commands are named after their Headquarters and each has several Divisions viz:

1. ENUGU AREA COMMAND

This Area Command has the following Divisions in addition to the Area Command Headquarters. They are Enugu, Umuahia, Port-Harcourt and Aba Divisions.



2. ZARIA AREA COMMAND

Besides the Area Command Headquarters which is also at Zaria, the following Divisions can be identified. They are Zaria Division, Kaduna Junction, Kano, Minna, Mokwa Gusau and Funtaua Divisions.



3. IBADAN AREA COMMAND

This Area Command in addition to the Area Command Headquarters has Ibadan Division, Bodija, Abeokuta, Ilorin, Offa and Oshogbo Divisions. Jebba is a Police Post under Ilorin.



4. BAUCHI AREA COMMAND

Besides the Area Command Headquarters which is at Bauchi, we have Bauchi Division, Jos, Kafanchan, Lafia, Makurdi, Gombe and Maiduguri Divisions. Oturkpo Police Post is under Markurdi Division.



5. EBUTE-METTA JUNCTION (EBJ) LAGOS AREA COMMAND

The Area Command Headquarters is at EBJ. Divisions under this Area Command includes Agege, Mushin, Iddo and Apapa. Agbado Junction is a Police Post under Agege Division.



 

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