Application of the Law in Relation to Public Officers and Public Authorities in Nigeria: The Public Officers Protection Act (POPA) Revisited

Public Officers are agents of the government engaged to perform public duties on behalf of the State. The Public Officers Protection Act (POPA) and the domesticated Public Officers Protection Laws (POPL) at the State level, are designed to protect such officers and authorities from distraction and damages in the course of their duties. This paper reviews the application of the POPA and some POPLs, with various critical examples through the cases. Itz also reviewed the views of some legal authorities and found ample evidence of unfortunate results from the strict application of the POPA, occasioning miscarriages of justice especially in the area of computation of time. It therefore recommends that the Act be amended in such areas in lieu of its total repeal.