An Evaluation of the Impact of the Nigeria Police Force in Crime Management
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of this Nigeria Police Force in crime management using Anambra State Police Command as case study. It is also aimed at identifying these problems that tend to make the police less effective and proffer solutions to such problems.
The research also wishes to educate the police more on their roles and the importance of effective crime management.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
THE EMERGENCE OF NIGERIA POLICE
The emergence of the Nigeria Police, the establishment of today’s Nigeria police came as a result of 30-person consular guard under the authority of the then governor of British West Africa in October 1861. In 1861 governor of Lagos colony, McCoskry, organised and established the nucleus of the first police force- Hausa constabulary of 30 men (Tamuno, 1970; the Nigerian police, 1981). This formation marked the beginnings of the first modern police in the history of Lagos. It was also the first modern police force in the territories later designated Nigeria by the British (Tamuno, 1970). In 1879 there was the establishment of the constabulary of Lagos colony, with the appointment of the first commissioner of police in 1896. There comes the royal Niger constabulary in 1886 which was established by the royal Niger Company for the northern territories. The British colonialist established the police institution for the purpose of advancing the European colonial commercial and strategic interests against the natives especially in the colony and the protectorates (Odikalu, 2004). Allure (1991) argue that the emerging ruling class in colonial Nigeria was a foreign and illegitimate one which sought to dominate and exploits the indigenous people in the interests of its own metropolitan (British) economy. The effort of this foreign ruling class to subdue the indigenous people and to impose a careful surveillance over them in order to forestall any popular resection created an obsession with the policing of public order. By 1900 the royal Niger constabulary spitted into two groups, the northern Nigeria police force for the colony and police force and regiment for the protectorate. The force of the colony later emerged with the southern Nigeria police force. 1914 amalgamation had two different police formation for both Northern and Southern Nigeria. In 1930, colonial government established Nigeria Police force headed by an Inspector-General.
However, regionalization of police formations remained (Ochikalu, 2004).
Section 4 of the police acts of 1967 provides that “the police shall be employed for the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged and shall perform such military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them by, or under the authority of this or any other act”. Aina (2014) postulate that the duties are stationary and the police owe these duties to the generality of Nigerians and all other persons lawfully living within Nigeria. They are therefore answerable to the law in performance of their duties. The question then is does Nigeria police perform this duties effectively and effectively as they ought to. Majority of Nigerians are of the opinion that police performance has being below good commendation. What does effectiveness and efficiency mean to police work? Effectiveness means task performance. Effective organisations are those which meet challenges put to them and satisfy demands for services or solve problems. Also, Efficiency is defined in terms of processing costs. Efficient organisations are those which convert inputs into outputs with less organizational efforts. Efficient organisation gives us more for our money. Etzioni (1964) explain that efficiency is a concept by which we access the processing activity of organisation, how they go
about facing problems, while effectiveness is a concept which denotes their goal matching, their ability to solve substantive problems. Odekunle (2004) posited that effectiveness is the ability of the force to successfully perform its assigned tasks; and by efficiency it is the capacity to perform its functions with the least amount of “waste”, in terms of time, material, personnel public good will, and lives.
FUNCTION OF THE NIGERIA POLICE
Police officers play a central role in the law enforcement system. They monitor criminal activity, take part in community patrols, respond to emergency calls, issue tickets, make arrests, investigate crimes and testify in court as needed.
The Nigeria Police Force performed conventional police functions and responsible for internal security generally; for supporting the Prison, Immigration and Customs Services and for performing Military duties, within or outside Nigeria as directed. (Nigeria Police Watch, 2011).
Society through its law gives its government wide powers for the purpose of efficient and effective preservation of law and order, protection of citizens from suffering, fear and loss of life and property produced by crime and violent conflict. The police is inherently, the most visible symbol of any government power and authority and primary enforcement of its law; an institution of social control in the hands of those who are managers of the state. (Obaro, 2014).
Generally, the police is a body of people who are empowered by the state to protect lives, property, to enforce the law and reduce civil disorder. The police is usually described as a law enforcement authority. However, as will be seen shortly, the functions of the police exceed the aspect of law enforcement.
The Nigeria Police Force is the principal police and law enforcement agency serving Nigeria. There are certain governmental agencies that control the Nigerian Police. These are: The Police Service Commission, the Nigeria Police Council and the Ministry of Police Affairs.
The Police Service Commission appoints, promotes and disciplines all police officers except the Inspector General of Police.
The Nigeria Police Council organizes and administers the Nigeria Police Force. It also carries out other functions that are incidental to organization and administration. But the Council is not concerned with matters related to the use and operational control of the Force, or the appointment, disciplinary control and dismissal of members of the Force. The Council also has the task of the general supervision of the Nigeria Police Force. It advises the President on the appointment of the Inspector-General of Police.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter presented the methods employed in the study in collecting, assembling and analyzing data. The study adopted the following structure: research design, target population, sample size and sampling procedure, research instruments, data collection methods, research procedures, pre testing of instruments, data analysis, operational definitions of terms, and ethical considerations.
Research Design
The research design provided the bond which join the research project into a one according to (Zikmund, 2003). The descriptive research is a study designed to describe the characteristics of a phenomena (Kothari, 2007). It was used to collect data concerning a certain phenomena in respect to the conditions of a place. The descriptive survey research attempts to collect data from target population, helps the researcher to get the descriptive existing phenomena by enquiring their perceptions, attitudes, behavior or values in line with (Nachmias and Nachmias, 2007). This method of study was considered appropriate due to proximity and time management.
Target Population
Orodho (2003) defines a population is a group of people or things being studied for certain recommendations. (Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003) defines population as a group of individuals,or things which habe same characteristics and can be seen. The population was the staff of Nigerian police force in anambra state. A sample was taken from the total population to be a representative of the whole.
Sampling Procedure
Sampling is getting a section for the study from the whole population. This is in line with (Cohen Manion and Marrison,2007).Data collected from the sample population was used to represent the large population. Sampling involves the researcher getting a group of individuals to provide details about the area of study according to (Mugenda and Mugenda, 2003).
CHAPTER FOUR
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Interview I
The first respondent who is a community leader in the community believed that the major function of the police is to see to the welfare of the society. According to this respondent, the police is to monitor human affairs, take cognizance of human ideas, the ways people relate and in a situation where there are problems, it is the duty of the police to investigate. This respondent further stated that the police have not performed their duties effectively. Furthermore, the first respondent claimed that the social system has not allowed the police to do a good job although the police have their own lapses. To some extent these variables have created some problems for the police. The respondent went further to state that the police would not be able to fight the war against crime without the support of the public.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
This study has examined police performance in crime prevention and control from the perspectives of the citizenry that the police are expected to protect. It also assess some factors, which tends to work against efficient policing. The overall picture which has emerged is quite unsatisfactory, it calls for quite substantial improvement in the police methods, budgetary allocation, facilities and equipment, and police/public relationship. The various views on police, and crime prevention and control were highlighted in the literature review. In collecting data from the field, the major instrument used were in-depth interview supplemented with focus groups discussion to enrich the data for the current study (Kitzinger, 1995).
The findings of this study confirmed the reality of the problem of the Nigeria police which has resulted in its inability to effectively perform its primary role of crime prevention and control. The findings were also discussed in line with the objective of assessing police performance in crime prevention and control in Nigeria. The current study findings include the fact that the socio political order inhibits effective police performance according majority of the respondents. It was the argument of the respondents that the situation has resulted in high level unemployment which has driven many able bodied men into crime which is difficult or overwhelming for the police to deal with. The findings from the in-depth interview further indicated that the crime problem in the country has gone beyond what the police alone could control. Additionally, it is evident from the study that the creation of various para military agencies to assist the police in crime prevention and control will not likely solve the crime problem in the country.
One notable finding of this research is with regards to the fact that the nature of relationship between the police and the public which is negative has had adverse effect on police performance in relation to crime prevention and control in Nigeria. It is important to note that Odinkalu (2004) has also noted that an honest analysis of the working of the Nigeria police indicate that police is never a friend of the average Nigerian. Hence it is always difficult for the police to receive cooperation from the civil populace in their primary function of crime prevention and control.
Similarly, the responses from the in-depth interviews conducted showed that private security is a welcome development in the country since it is glaring that the police has not lived up to expectations of the general public in controlling the crime problem. However, most respondents pointed out that the private security needs to be properly supervised by the police or the government to guard against abuse of power. Nwizu (2004) has noted that police alone cannot effectively prevent and control crime in Nigeria. It is the conclusion of Nwizu (2004) that the organization require inter-agency cooperation for effective crime control in Nigeria.
RECOMMENDATIONS
One important recommendation that has emerged from the current study is the need to improve the conditions of service of the Nigeria police to motivate them for the responsibilities attached to policing in a young democratic system such as Nigeria. A police/public relations committee has being established since 1964 and they are in place in most police commands. However, there is a necessity to foster and strengthen it as already indicated by Odinkalu (2004). Public talks, workshops, public enlightenment programs and seminars by the police and members of the civil society will help foster this relationship. The police/public relations unit also need to be overhauled to actually make information on police activities or general public affairs available to members of the public. They should adequately exploit publicity as mean of increasing cooperation between police and the public.
Corruption seems to have become institutionalized by policemen at check points where they collect money unashamedly in the full glare of passengers and other road users. Every checkpoint become by itself a toll gate, especially for commercial vehicle, but with the difference that the proceeds went into the private pickets of the policemen. As noted by previous studies on policing in Nigeria, a significant reductions in police corruption in Nigeria can be achieved if the momentum for reform is maintained and by eliminating as many situations as possible which currently exposed policemen to corruption, and by controlling exposure where corruption hazard are unavoidable (Igbinovia, 1982; Karimu & Anambrayikanmi, 2012). Other measures should include elimination of certain fiscal functions, good leadership and that recruitment personnel investigations must be instituted (Igbinovia, 1985).
For the police to effectively prevent and control crime, there is the need to recognize the importance of different private security organizations to work side-by-side and hand –in –hand with the police and other government agencies of crime prevention and control as obtained in other societies like the United States and Canada. As such, if our society is to be crime free, the government is advised to give some legal backings to the exiting private security institutions. In addition, relationship between police and other agencies with whom they are expected to come into contact and to cooperate should be improved for effective performance in crime prevention and control.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
It was difficult obtaining much information from the civil population utilized for this study because of the fear that whatever information provided could be used against them in the nearest future. This attitude could have been said to be due to the lack of adequate knowledge of the workings of the police organization. Coupled with this is the fact that most people dread the police and as a result will do anything to avoid even talking about them. To ensure that the participants fully participated in this study, they were informed of their rights and that their anonymity and confidentiality will be protected by ensuring that any information provided will be used only for the current study (Creswell, 2009). The respondents were also informed that no information obtained will have reference to their names.
This study was carried in one state of Nigeria, therefore information obtained only relies on information with citizens of this state supplemented with information from journals and internet- based documented source materials. The participants’ selection was based on convenience samples and therefore suffers from lack of representation, sampling and selection bias (Lanier & Briggs, 2014). Also, due to the fact that the study was confined to citizens of a state in Nigeria, caution should be exercised in generalizing results to citizens of other states in the country (Creswell, 2009; Lanier & Briggs, 2014). It is therefore suggested that future research should involve population of other states in Nigeria. Also, future research might considered quantitative design which was not used in this study.
REFERENCES
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- Creswell. J.W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods (3rd edition). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.
- Igbinovia, P.E. (1982). The police in trouble: Administrative and organizational problems in the Nigeria police force. Indian Journal of Public Administration, 28 (2), 334-372.
- Igbinovia, P.E. (1985). Dynamics, rationale, nature and extent of police misconduct in Nigeria.
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- Karimu, O.O. (1999). Police performance in crime prevention and control in Anambra state, Nigeria. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
