About

THE NIGERIA POLICE DIRECTORATE OF PEACEKEEPING

OUR VISION

To produce competent, professional and physically fit Police officers for participation in Peace Support Operations (PSOs), consistent with International standards and missions’ requirements.

OUR MISSION

To select, screen and equip personnel with requisite skills and competencies required for participation in complex peace support operations through the delivery of quality internationally recognized and professional training.

OUR OBJECTIVES:

To address all aspects Nigeria Police participation in Peace Support Operations, including: –

• Criteria for participation;
• Medical requirements and standards;
• Training;
• Conduct and Discipline;
• General and specific entitlements of Peacekeepers;
• Uniforms and kits;
• Liaison with other Centres of Excellence/Training Centres within and outside Nigeria on issues of Collaborative/Exchange training programs;
• Issues relating to fresh participants and veterans in Peacekeeping;
• Issues relating to extension of Tours of Duty (TOD);
• International Appointments and Secondments;
• Personnel of the Directorate of Peacekeeping;

HISTORY OF NIGERIA POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN PSOs

The Nigeria Police participation in PSOs dates back to 1960 when the Force deployed her first contingent of Individual police officers (IPOs), led by ACP Louis Edet who later became the first indigenous Inspector–General of Nigeria Police Force to Congo (now DRC). This was the first time that The United Nations was deploying Police officers to a Peacekeeping operations and Nigeria and Ghana were the first countries to deploy.

Deployment of IPOs continued till June, 2004 when the Force deployed her first Formed police Unit (FPU) to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). With this deployment, Nigeria became the first country in Africa to deploy a Formed Police Unit to United Nations Peacekeeping mission. It is gratifying to note that the performance of the first FPU deployed to Liberia was highly exemplary and provoked the UN to request for the deployment of more Nigeria Formed Police Units to other United Nations Peacekeeping missions. Consequently, other FPUs were deployed in 2005 to DRC and Haiti. Since then, NPF has deployed FPUs to Darfur in Sudan, Guinea Bissau, Somalia and Maliunder the auspices of the UN, AU or ECOWAS. To a greater extent, personnel of the Nigeria Police Force that have served in Peacekeeping missions have performed so well that they have been commended by the UNDPKO and Heads of their respective missions.

The continued participation in Peace Support Operations has indeed exposed personnel of the Nigeria Police Force to modern day policing strategies that have been immensely beneficial to the Force and to the Nation in general.

Since Nigeria Police Force’s first deployment to Congo, Now DRC, the Force has creditably participated in the PSOs: –

• UN Operation in Congo (UNCE) –            1960 – 1964
• UN Assistance Group in Namibia (UNTAG) –            1989 – 1990
• UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) –            1992 – 1993
• UN Protection Force – Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR) –            1992 – 1995
• UN Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM 1,11 & 111)             –             1994 – 1997
• UN Operation in Somalia (UOISOM 1 & 11)             –            1994 – 1995
• UN Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara (MINORSO) –            1994 – 1998
• UN Operation in Mozambique (UNMOZ) –            1994
• UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) –            1994
• UN Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina (UNMIBIH) –            1995 – 2002
• UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNMEAT) –            1999 – 2012
• UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) –            1999 – 2005
• UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) –            1999 – 2012
• UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) –            2007 – 2009
• UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) –            2005 – 2011
• African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) –            2004 – 2007
• UN Operations in Burundi (ONUB) –            2004 – 2006

CURRENT DEPLOYMENT

• UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)                         –            Since 2003
• UN Office in Sierra Leone (UNOSIL) –            Since 2005
• UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) –            Since 2007
• UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) –            Since 2011
• UN Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) –            Since 2005
• UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) –            Since 2010
• UN Mission in Cote Devoir (ONUCI) –            Sinc3 2004
• UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) –            Since 2012
• African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) –            Since 2009
• ECOWAS Mission in Guinea Bissau (ECOMIB)             –            Since 2012

The establishment of the Directorate of Peacekeeping in 2006, then known as Peacekeeping Operations and Training has helped in no small way in repositioning it towards improved participation in global peace support operations.

QUALITIES OF A PEACEKEEPER

For credible and professional performance in PSOs, Nigeria Police peacekeepers must possess the following qualities: –

• Maturity in attitude, outlook and possession of appropriate career;
• Common sense approach to problem solving;
• Mentally and physically fit;
• Polite demeanour combined with a firm, but flexible honest approach in the performance of duties;
• Considerable self-discipline and patience;
• Friendly open approach to other nationalities;
• Being able to demonstrate credibility in leadership;
• Must be a good team player.

ACTIVITIES

The Directorate of Peacekeeping is responsible for the following:

• Recruitment/Selection of personnel for Peace support operations;
• Training of personnel for deployment;
• Deployment/Rotation of Police officers to various missions across the globe;
• Serves as liaison between the United Nations’ Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UNDPKO)/African Union Peace Support Operations Department (AUPSOD)/ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) and the Nigeria Police;
• Give appropriate advice to the Inspector-General of Police on matters related Peace Support Operations.
• Monitoring of activities of Nigeria Police officers in Missions;
• Liaise with Nigerian immigration, UNDP office and DHL on travel issues and air freighting of contingents belongings;
• Liaise with National and International Centres of Excellence and Peace Support Training Institutions on training matters;
• Organizing seminars and workshops on matters relating to Peace Support Operations;
• Facilitate the procurement, deployment and repatriation of Contingent Own Equipment (COE)

RECRUITMENT/SELECTION OF PERSONNEL FOR PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS

The process of selecting personnel for deployment to PSOs may vary according to the mission and mandate and category of personnel as follows: –

1. INDIVIDUAL POLICE OFFICERS (IPOs)

For Individual Police officer, Commands are normally requested to nominate a given number of personnel between the rank of Inspectors of Police to Chief Superintendents and in some special cases, Assistant Commissioners of Police. Nominated officers are then invited for screening as follows: –

1. Medical Examination

Candidates who qualify in the Cooper test will undergo the UN prescribed medical examination to ascertain their physical and psychological wellness. The tests include, among others: –

• Blood Pressure;
• Blood sugar level;
• HIV/AIDS
• Hepatitis A,B &C
• Psychological wellness
• Pregnancy (for women) etc.

1. Computer Assessment

Candidates are tested on basic Computer skills

1. Pre-SAATExercise

The Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) is usually dispatched to contributing countries, upon request by the Member state (MS)to assist in assessment and selection of qualified personnel to serve in PSOs. SAAT visits are very important to the Contributing countries, as candidates not assessed by SAAT in the home country are assessed on arrival at the mission area and if they are not successful, they will be repatriated at the expense of the contributing country. It is against this background that the Nigeria Police made it mandatory for candidates to undergo SAAT before deployment as IPOs. The validity of SAAT is two (2) years, after which a candidate may have to participate in another SAAT.

Prior to such visits, the Directorate conducts pre-SAAT assessment in order to train, screen, select and prepare candidates for the SAAT proper. Just like the SAAT, pre-SAAT assessment is in four phases: –

Phase 1:Combined Language Assessment (CLA). This assessment is conducted in accordance with the mission’s language, usually English or French and includes–

• Reading Comprehension;
• Report Writing;
• Oral Interview and
• Computer test.

For the reading comprehension and report writing, candidates are required to score a minimum of 70% to qualify for participation in the rest of the exercise. Oral interview is meant to test the candidate on his/her communication skills, professional experience, knowledge of the Organization’s (UN/AU/ECOWAS) core values and competencies etc.

Phase 11: Driving Assessment. This is conducted with a 4 X 4 manual transmission vehicle and includes:

• Vehicle handling/maneuver, which involves completion of a driving course within five minutes and
• Road test, where a candidate is tested on practical drivingon all aspects of driving.

Phase 111: Weapon handling and shooting

• Stripling and reassembling a weapon (Weapon must be that to be used in the mission;
• Shooting from five meters;
• Shooting from seven meter.

A candidate is given five bullets on each line and will be required to hit the 45 X 45 CM target with at least nine of the ten bullets

2. FORMED POLICE UNITS (FPUs)

Unlike IPOs, FPU is a fully armed, self-sustaining Unit of between 120 and 140 police personnel. The Unit is deployed to the mission area along with all its own equipment, called Contingent Owned Equipment (COE) and the duration for its tour of duty is one year. It is pertinent to mention here that the FPU contributing country is periodically reimbursed for all the equipment deployed with the Unit, provided they are found to be in good working condition during inspection.

Selection of FPU personnel is done by means of deploying recruitment teams from the Directorate to all the Zonal Commands, during which interested and qualified candidates are shortlisted. They are later invited for further screening, as follows: –

Cooper test

Cooper test for FPU personnel is same as that of IPOs.

Medical Examination

This isthe same as in the case of IPOs.

Computer Test: This is also the same as in the case of IPOs.

Qualified personnel to be deployed as FPU are given an intensive training on: –

• Basic Police Tactics (BPT);
• Public Order Management;
• Extraction of threatened (UN/AU) staff;
• Firearms Basic, Intermediate, Advance and shooting exercises;
• Theories on Public Order management (Graduation in Use of force);
• Escort of convoys and prisoners;
• Emergency Procedures;
• Intervention on IED and Vehicular control
• Negotiation and Mediation;
• COE Management;
• Command Element Training;
• Combat Life Safety;

Formed Police Assessment Team (FPAT)

Before deploying a Unit, a Formed Police Assessment Team (FPAT) will be deployed to the country to inspect the readiness of the country to deploy, in terms of personnel and equipment. The team will equally assess the Command staff of the Unit in an exercise, similar to the SAAT assessment.In order to meet up with the requirements, Officers who will form Command element are identified and are given the pre-SAATtraining just like the IPOs. 

Roles of the FPU

• Protection ofmissions’ personnel and facilities;
• Provision of tactical assistance to National Security services in terms of Public Order Management;
• Crowd control;
• Escort of UN/AU/ECOWAS personnel when on visits to security prone zones in the mission area

PRE DEPLOYMENT TRAINING

All personnel for deployment to PSOs (IPOs & FPUs) will undergo a mandatory Pre-deployment training in line with the United Nations directives. The topics for this training are drawn from the UN Core Pre-deployment Training Modules (CPTMs) and Standardized Training Modules (STMs).

In addition to this, personnel are given briefing on topics that are Mission-specific, according to the missions they are to be deployed.

Courses delivered to personnel during this program include: –

• Introduction to the UN Peacekeeping Operations;
• Fundamental Principles of UN Peacekeeping Operations;
• CPTM Part 2 = How UN Peacekeeping operations functions;
• Core Business of UN/AU Police;
• CPTM Unit… = Effective mandate implementation;
• The African Union System and History;
• Nature of Conflicts in Africa;
• Code of Conduct (conduct and Discipline);
• Personal Security Awareness;
• Land Navigation;
• Vehicle handling/Use of the 4 X4 manual transmission vehicle;
• CPTM 4 – 3 = Respect for Diversity;
• Women Peace and Security;
• Protection of Children;
• Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse;
• Stress Management;
• Prevention of HIV/AIDS;
• Other Health Matters (First Aid, Personal and environmental hygiene, Malaria and Ebola Awareness, Psychological briefing etc.);
• Mine/UXOs Awareness;
• Human Rights protection in PKOs;
• Human Rights Standards in the Use of Force;
• Human Rights Standards on Arrest and Detention;
• Humanitarian Assistance;
• Reforms, Restructure and Rebuilding of Law Enforcement Agencies;
• Mentoring and Advising;
• UNPOL and different Legal systems;
• Negotiation, Mediation and use of Language Assistants;
• Community Policing;
• Radio Communication
• Report Writing;
• FIELD EXERCISES – Covering

NOTE: These materials can be downloaded from the Directorate’s website: – www.npfdpk.gov.ng

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION IN PSOS

Nigeria Police Personnel who wish to participate in PSOs are expected to meet the following requirements: –

• Must have served a minimum of 5 years in the Police;
• Must be at least 25 years of age;
• Must not be below NCOs and Inspectors for FPU and IPO respectively;
• Must be able to read and write English Language;
• Ability speak, read and write French Language is an added advantage;
• Must be able to drive 4WD vehicles;
• Specialty in the following fields will be an added advantage for IPOs (Advisors)
  • Administration
  • Legal
  • Information Technology
  • Sexual/Gender based violence
  • Community Policing
  • Investigation
• National Geographical spread to be considered
• 25% of FPU nomination shall be specialists (Doctors, Nurses, Artisans etc)

DIRECTORS OF DPK FROM INCEPTION TO DATE

1. ACP DAVID FOLOAWIYO –           2006  to  2008
2. DCP MOHAMMED ADAMU LAFIA –           2008  to  2011
3. CSP LAWAN T. JIMETA (Ag Director) –           2011
4. DCP IBRAHIM K. IDRIS –           2011
5. ACP MOHAMMED ZANNA –           2011  to  2012
6. CP CORNELIUS K, ADERANTI –           2012  to  2014
7. ACP LAWAN T. JIMETA –           2014 to 2017
8. CP SADIQ ABUBAKAR –           2017 to 2022
9. ACP AUGUSTINE M. JAGABA –            2022 TILL DATE