■ Introduction
In law, equity acts in personam. That is, justice demands personal responsibility. But in Nigeria’s policing system, accountability is deliberately diffused, shielded behind uniforms and institutions. Victims are left with bruises. Officers walk free.
Police brutality is not new in Nigeria. The #EndSARS movement in 2020 exposed a culture of abuse, extortion, and torture. But beyond protests, what has changed? Can a victim of police abuse sue the officer personally — not the police, not the Inspector-General, but the actual human being who slapped, flogged, or shot them?
Too often, the legal answer is foggy. Courts dodge the issue. Lawsuits against police officers are redirected to the Nigerian Police Force. The abusive officer is never named. Never appears in court. Never feels the cost of their misconduct.
■ But should this be so?
Absolutely not. The Nigerian legal system is grounded in a principle older than the country itself — ubi jus ibi remedium — where there is a wrong, there must be a remedy. If equity acts upon the conscience of the individual, then police officers who abuse citizens must be sued in personam.
■ To hide behind the state is to shield evil with bureaucracy.
To punish the institution while the individual remains untouched is injustice.
■ The road forward is clear:
Courts must allow suits against the individual officer, not just the force.
Police Acts and service rules must be amended to provide personal liability for acts done outside lawful duty.
■ Victims must be empowered to pursue direct redress.
When a man uses state power to commit violence, he must not be protected by the state. He must answer as a man — with his name in court, his salary at risk, and his conscience on trial.
Until then, equity remains caged. And justice remains impersonal.
