The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd, mni, has said that a Police Officer in all circumstance must have a thorough understanding and knowledge of the law, and of Police orders and instructions and must develop the attributes of efficiency, courtesy, tact, integrity and impartiality.
DIG Argungu in a key note address presented to the participants of an ongoing high-level workshop which began in Abuja yesterday, September 15th 2025 and organised for security personnel by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, Development Partners and Governments of Bornu, Adamawa and Yobe States also noted that current threats to the future of Policing and security in Nigeria are no longer primarily coming from the conventional (traditional) factors of the usual narrative – unemployment, poverty, out-of-school children, etc.
He spoke on “Ethics, Mental Health and the Future of Policing and security in Nigeria” with theme “Command Leadership for Ethical and Trauma-Informed Security Response” where he noted that it is important for Police Officers to study ethics and professional code of ethics since according to him they are the bedrock of Policing code of conduct.
DIG Argungu said ethics training will help Police departments/institutions recognise their full potential since Officers use a lot of discretion in the conduct of their duties which include the enforcement of the law at appropriate time or place.
The PSC Chairman also spoke on the implications of medical health requirements for enlistment into the Nigeria Police Force adding that medical health examination will help evaluate “if the candidate is medically fit to meet the physical requirements of the job”.
He said deformities and abnormalities test must be carried out as part of the medical health requirements, adding that a candidate for admission must be free of impediment in speech, gross malfunction of teeth or jaw preventing proper mastication of food, knock knees, bent knees, bant knees, flat feet, bent arms. Others include; deformed hands, defective eye sight or squint eyes, amputation of any kind etc.
DIG Argungu explained that Police stress stems from operational factors like trauma exposure and dangerous incidents, organizational issues such as poor management, shift work and lack of peer support and external societal pressures “which can lead to issues like burn out, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD)”.He noted the categories of stressors which he said includes operational stressors which is inherent in the nature of police work including exposure to violence, traumatic events and the potential to danger; Organisational stressors that comes with issues of insufficient staffing, poor leadership, excessive overtime, lack of proper equipment and strict or poorly enforced policies.
Others include Personal/External stressors such as factors like financial difficulties, social and family pressures, societal influences as well as internal factors related to individual Officers’ emotional well being.
DIG Argungu said the consequences of Police stress is that it can lead to various mental and physical health problems including; mental health disorder, burn out, substance misuse and suicide.
On the future of Policing and security in Nigeria, the PSC Chairman said the key challenges and threats that the country is facing now are”social media as well as digital channel which can also be used for malicious content and propaganda and “hooligans, employed by undesirable elements to recruit and mobilise followers ”
The PSC Chairman noted that at this era of 21st Century, “all security Officers will have to have training in the recognition of offences committed by computer and how electronically based technology affects businesses and everyday life.
