The police force belongs to the ....... arm of government

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which arm of government the police force belongs to. Nigeria, like many democracies, has three arms of government: the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

Step 2: Recall the functions of each arm

• Legislature (National Assembly): makes laws.
• Executive (President, Governors, Ministers, civil service, and security agencies): carries out or enforces the laws and runs the day-to-day affairs of government.
• Judiciary (courts): interprets the laws and settles disputes.

Step 3: Place the police The Nigeria Police Force enforces laws, maintains law and order, prevents and detects crime, and protects lives and property. Enforcing laws is an executive function. The Police is under the control of the Inspector-General of Police, who is appointed by the President. The Police also operates under the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Police Service Commission. That puts it clearly in the executive arm, along with the army, the civil service and other security agencies.

Step 4: Eliminate the wrong options

• A. Legislative: wrong, because the police do not make laws.
• C. Judiciary: wrong, because the police arrest and investigate, but only the courts judge and sentence.
• D. Peace making: not an arm of government at all.

Correct answer: B. Executive

Exam tip: Remember it this way: Legislature makes, Executive enforces, Judiciary interprets. Anything that "carries out" or "enforces," such as the police, army, customs, immigration or civil service, belongs to the Executive.