The Nigerian Police and Regime Security in Nigeria: A Critical Analysis (original) (raw)

2019, NPSA SOUTHEAST PUBLICATION

It is doubtless that the wave of insecurity in the Nigerian state is alarming and disturbing. There are several security challenges which cut across the nooks and crannies of the country. Even though, the security of life and property are the primary purpose of government, as solidified in the 1999 Constitution as amended, that "the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government." This study argues that the Nigerian Police and allied agencies being the major security/law enforcement agencies have failed abysmally in their constitutional role, as there is now protection and securitisation of politicians and their regimes and politicisation of security by the police at the expense of national security. The study is harped on Marxist theory; longitudinal research design, documentary method of data collection and qualitative method of analysis. The study deciphered amongst others that the federal government has generally failed to tame and hold the police accountable amidst the recurrence and sudden increase of insecurity; it has rather continued to use the police as means of regime survival and intimidation of opposition within and without a political party/fold. Thus, public complaint mechanisms, internal police controls, and civilian oversight remain very weak, and largely ineffective as the ugly trend continues. The study recommends amongst others, that the Nigerian government in general and the police/security agencies' leadership in particular should thus address this structural deficit; follow through on reform initiatives, and implement effective police oversight and accountability in order to revert-back to their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and properties.

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