THE IMPORTANCE OF STATE POLICING IN NIGERIA: A TOOL FOR COMBATING NIGERIA’S CONTEMPORARY INTERNAL SECURITY CHALLENGES

Abstract

This study was on the importance of state policing in Nigeria: A tool for combating Nigeria’s contemporary internal security challenges. Four objectives were raised which included: To evaluate the efficacy of state police as the concrete solution to the nation’s host of security challenges, to find out the factors that contribute to insecurity in the country, examine connection(s) between police inefficiency and insecurity in Nigeria and to interrogate the actual readiness of the country to effectively put state police system in place. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up of DPOS, assistant DPOs, superintendents and corporals were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies. The study therefore recommended that The implementation of community policing programme should be beyond mere rhetoric. Therefore, the government should allocate more funds and resources to support the operations of community poling. Moreover, more motor vehicles and other security gadgets should be procured to enhance police patrol.

 

 Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

It is a truism that the recent phenomenal wave of political assassination, murders, armed banditry, kidnapping and general eruption of insecurity in Nigeria has put both the government and the populace on the edge. There is hardly a day that passes without sorry tales of premeditated killings, armed robbery and other crimes and attacks nationwide. In the last few months, some prominent politicians and business moguls have been attacked, killed or robbed in unresolved circumstances. The intriguing aspects of these fatal developments is that the president, Musa Yar’Adua and his predecessor, in most cases authoritatively declared and lay blame on the Nigerian wobble economy, and anti-democratic forces.

What these contending perspectives suggest is that the government has not shown any seriousness towards the issue of safety of life and property in Nigeria until the invasion of top political, business brass and appointees by the criminals. This underscores the haphazard response to the assaults and contradictory explanations coming from different government quarters pertaining to waves of attacks Abati, R. (2009).

It  is  generally an unassailable fact  that  the  paramount  responsibility of  the government  of any state is to ensure the provision and maintenance of its citizens’ safety cum  security.   No doubt,  security  is  the  ultimate  for  all  times,  climes,  peoples  and  nations  and  except one’s security within a particular atmosphere is ascertained, everything other thing might be meaningless ( Al Mashat, 1985). More so, without  security,  the  state  is  bound  to  experience  great  difficulty  in  harnessing  its  human  and  material resources  towards  meaningful  development  and  the  promotion  of  the  general  well-being  of  the  people.  Internal or  domestic  security  is  very  crucial  for  the  attraction  of  foreign  investments,  nation-building  and  national development  ( Nwogwugwu and  Kupoluyi, 2015).  This sufficiently provides the rationale behind a fundamental provision of the present 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which explicitly   states  that  “The  security  and  welfare  of  the people  shall  be  the  primary  purpose  of  government”.

It is however highly unfortunate that  the Nigerian state over the recent years   has  been  perpetually bedeviled by the endemic surge and scourge  of insecurity  challenges leading  to  hundreds   of  deaths of  innocent civilians, foreigners,   elected  officials  and  many government  workers,  even some  members  of the  nation’s security  personnel aren’t spared.  These  insecurity  challenges  continually  assume seemingly insurmountable  dimensions on a daily basis.  The number  of  violent  crimes  such  as kidnappings, ritual killings, carjackings, suicide  bombings,  religious  killings, politically-motivated  killing  and  violence, ethnic  clashes, armed  banditry  and  others  has  increasingly  become    the regular  signature  that characterises  life  in  Nigeria since 2009  (Imhonopi  &  Urim,  2012). Similarly, the security situation between 2007 and 2011 in Nigeria obviously took different dimensions. This period, however, witnessed a consistent pressure on the government by Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Indegenoeus people of Biafra (IPOB), increasing spate of kidnapping in the South – East geo – political zone, incessant bombings in the northern parts of Nigeria by Boko Haram group, Mehem by the Islamic assailants in Jos crisis, politically motivated killings by unscrupulous groups, among others (Ameh, 2008:9).   In more recent times,  the country keeps going through this quagmire in a plethora number of ways ; ranging from the Herdsmen disturbances in the North and Central, Ritual killings, to kidnapping  which continuously thrives in the South West and East coupled with other political and economic disturbances.

Not only  has  the  continued  state  of  insecurity threatened  the  very  fabric  of  national  integration  in  the country  and  created  the  ecology  of  fear,  disquiet  and anxiety,  it has  also  meted  a deadly  blow  or  what Imhonopi  &  Urim  (2012)  call  “spectral  bite”  to  industrial development.  The  destruction  of  the badly  needed infrastructure  has  taken  the  country  many  years backwards.

Though,  the Nigerian government seemingly tries to  trudge  on in  the  face  of  this  daring  challenge  and adopt some strategies to contain or douse this  conflagration. These range from the “force-for-force”  to  carrot-and-stick approach to diplomacy  but  the  problem keeps  surging with  greater monstrosity  like  the  proverbial  phoenix. Worse still, the extant Nigeria Police Force and other internal Security Agencies have not been   impressively forthcoming in combatting this very issue.  Going by the studies and peruse of the Police Force in particular , it has always been adjudged to be largely fraught with lots of ills that inhibit it from substantially winning the war against Insecurity in the country.  According to Tunde-Awe (2005), the Nigeria  Police  Force  which  is  centrally  controlled,  has  over  the  years  metamorphosed  to  a  state where  it  is  allegedly  characterized  by  various  social  vices  such  as  graft, corruption,  robbery  and  indiscipline.

Scholars,  security  experts  and  consultants have  also not rested  in  making  diverse  recommendations  and probable  solutions  to  address  this national blight. Hence, this has led quite a number of these entities from various quarters into the advocacy for the embrace of State Police structure in containing  the insecurity menace that continually militate against  the internal peace of the Nigerian state and the welfare of its citizenry as a whole.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This largely stems from what has been briefly discussed in the above background of this study. Just as earlier mentioned, the Nigerian state keeps wallowing and going through the unending surge of insecurity challenges. The security conundrum in the nation has attained a very critical point. This is despite  the extant security measures put in place particularly in form of the federal police system and the numerous reforms that has been churned out by even previous governments. They  have apparently contributed just little in actually surmounting this disheartening quagmire.

Thus, the advocacy or re-awakened need for the State police structure has been birthed by many. However, this advocacy has not been without the confrontations and differing opinions of critics. Certain germane and highly fundamental questions have been and are being raised in the  course of this advocacy which has as well elicited a topical debate among researchers, security experts, public analysts to mention just a few.   Prominent among such raised questions and concerns  are;

To what extent can the adoption of State Police in  Nigeria truly be an antidote to the myriad security challenges, what attendant challenges is its adoption going  to encounter,  How can it be really ascertained that the State Police structure will not be plagued with the very same problems that hinder the present Federal Police Force from performing up to expectations. Also, another vital concern that comes to mind is how feasible is the actual adoption of State Policing in the  present day Nigeria.

Hence, although the advocates have tried to illuminate the prospects of State Police, such advocacy isn’t without its fair share of criticisms from lots of critics and skeptics.

Thus this research will be saddled with the objective analysis of the divergent views and schools of thoughts on how the Nigeria’s internal security problems can be better dealt with particularly with regards to the creation of State Police, is it to be or not to be?

Objective of the study

The objective of the study is to find out the importance of state policing in Nigeria: A tool for combating Nigeria’s contemporary internal security challenges. The specific objectives are;

1. To evaluate the efficacy of state police as the concrete solution to the nation’s host of security challenges.
2. To find out the factors that contribute to insecurity in the country
3. Examine connection(s) between police inefficiency and insecurity in Nigeria
4. To interrogate the actual readiness of the country to effectively put state police system in place.

Research question

The following research questions were formulated;

1. What is the efficacy of state police as the concrete solution to the nation’s host of security challenges?
2. What are the factors that contribute to insecurity in the country?
3. What are the connection(s) between police inefficiency and insecurity in Nigeria
4. Is Nigeria as a country truly ready for the effective implementation of State Police?

Significance of the study

This particular research topic does not address out rightly new issues. However, while lots of studies have mainly been conducted on the examination of the numerous aspects of Nigeria are insecurity problems as well recommending new reforms to strengthen the present Federal Police System.  Some other similar studies have been based on the introduction of state policing as a means to bolster the Nigerian federalism.

This particular research is utilizing a rather quite new perspective such that, the  advocacy for state policing is to be analyzed. Also, to deeply critique facts and data in order to substantially ascertain whether State Police truly has the capacity of being the so much needed solution to our internal security problems. More  importantly, to find out if Nigeria as a country is truly ready to effectively implement the State Police  measure particularly  in the face of present state of things and realities in the nation.

Scope of the study

The scope of the study covers the importance of state policing in Nigeria: A tool for combating Nigeria’s contemporary internal security challenges. The study will be limited to selected police stations in Ibadan

Limitation of the study

It will be of more importance to highlight certain militating factors that tend to narrow or limit my scope of study. This project research would have been easier if not for these limitating factors:

1. Time factor:time was not on the researchers to consult various sectors of the economy to review employees or given out questionnaire to various institutions on the effect of government revenue policies.
   As we all know, time is never our friend. The time scheduled for the completion of this research thesis was too short. As a result, generating information/data was strenuous as it coincides with final year examination period, which needed attention.
2. Finance:this is another barrier that limited the researcher’s work.
3. Available resources:was unavailable for the research work.

 

Definition of terms

State police: the police organized and maintained by a state as distinguished from those of a lower subdivision (such as a city or county) of the state government.

Combating: take action to reduce or prevent (something bad or undesirable).

Internal security: Internal security is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other self-governing territories, generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats.

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