The House of Representatives on Thursday, October 23, 2025, adopted a critical motion of urgent national importance, demanding immediate enforcement of strict uniform and identification protocols for all security personnel operating at checkpoints, particularly across the South East and South-South geopolitical zones.

The motion, moved by Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa (Labour Party, Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Abia State), warned that the current practice of un-uniformed or inadequately identified officers from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) poses a severe national security risk, enables criminality, and undermines public trust.

​Dangerous Ambiguity and Accountability Failure
​In his submission during plenary, Hon. Osonwa emphasized that the lack of clear identification tags, ranks, and full uniforms on patrol and checkpoint duties creates a “dangerous climate of ambiguity.”
​”It makes it almost impossible for citizens to distinguish between genuine security personnel and criminal impersonators,” Osonwa stated, noting that this ambiguity fuels rising cases of extortion, harassment, and abuse of power which go unpunished due to the anonymity of the officers.

​The Abia lawmaker also stressed the seasonal urgency of the matter, pointing out that with the festive period approaching, high volumes of travelers on regional highways will face heightened risks of encountering impersonators or errant officers shielded by their lack of identification.

​House Mandates Immediate Action
​Following the motion’s unanimous adoption, the House issued several key resolutions:

​Immediate Enforcement: The Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Commandant General of the NSCDC were MANDATED to immediately enforce compliance with all extant rules, requiring officers on checkpoint, stop-and-search, and patrol duties to appear in full, approved uniforms with clearly visible ranks and identification tags.

​Summons and Timeline: The House directed the Committees on Police Affairs and Interior to URGE and summon the respective Service Chiefs to explain the widespread non-compliance and secure a definitive timeline for full implementation of the uniform directive.

​Oversight Visit: The relevant Committees were further directed to conduct a six-week oversight visit to the affected regions to monitor compliance and report their findings back to the House.

​The resolutions are viewed as a decisive legislative step toward improving accountability within the nation’s security agencies and restoring citizen confidence, especially in regions grappling with heightened security challenges.