CORRUPTION AND PUBLIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE

ABSTRACT

        Nigeria political and economic system has been characterize by series of crisis in which corruption surface to be one of the major challenges. Thus, this project work examined corruption among the Nigeria Police Force and as it affect the entire public attitude. The findings of this work will enhance Nigeria as a state in facing the cankerworm and use every possible solution in combating it. From the research, the questionnaire distributed to the public revealed that the anti-corruption crusade embarked upon by Obasanjo Administration i.e. EFCC & ICPC, if left alone to be independent can go a long way in combating corruption. However, police force should be taught simple ethnic and should also be notified how noble their job is.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background to the study

 On February 26^th, 1952 the Emirs of Gwandu moved the motion in the Northern House of Chiefs.

“That this house, agreeing that Bribery and corruption are widely prevalent in all walk of life, recommends that Native Authorities should make every effort to trace and punish offenders with strict impartiality and to educate public opinion against bribery and corruption.

And yet eleven years later, Ronald Waith and Edgar simple kins noticed that “in Africa corruption flourishes as luxuriantly ass the bush and weeds which it so much resembles, taking the goodness form the soil and suffocating the growth of the plants which have been carefully and expensively bred and tended. The forces ranged against it are negligible”.

        One of the major challenges that has faced the Nigeria society over the years in the issue of corruption. Corruption has become so deep sealed in the country that it has become so deep scaled in the country that it had stunted growth in all sectors difficulties in developing fast. Transparency international on independent global watch on corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of the police force, such that seeing a policemen quickly conjures the image of someone who collect bribe. Illegal road blocks are mounted almost at regular intervals on the highway for the purpose of extorting money especially from commercial drivers.

        Public attitudes towards the police is nothing to write home about over the years. Indeed, it has been a table of woes.

        The public out cry against the police office is sadden since, some belief that the police are also accomplice adding that some unscrupulous police officers not only collude with the men of underworld but also engage in the robbery themselves.

        This subject citizens life insecure since robbers can attack at gun point for close three hours or more without any response from the police.

        However, it should be noted that not all police officers are corrupt, few may be faithful and loyal in discharging their crucial roles in the society.

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

According to Rose-Ankerman (1997) as sited in Saliu Ed (1999) corruption in which ever way it is viewed and considered underpinnings as it effects efficiency and economic system. In Nigeria, corrupt acts are called such slang as “egunje” “kinkbacks” settlement”, “fastone”, “brown envelop” e.t.c. No matter how richly endowed a nation might be corruption can be cognitive wheel of economic progress and development.

Article 324 of the police regulation states, among others that a police officer shall be determined as incorruptible in the exercise of his police duties. The violation of this status is as old as the police force itself. One of the earliest officially recognized corrupt acts in road safety administration by the Nigeria Police can be traced back to December 1953 after the police started the vehicle inspection duty to determine the workiness or otherwise of vehicles.

The familiar bargon of “stop, park die, wetin you carry, wey your papers, wetin I wan do with N10 e.t.c. have become the voices and visions of Nigeria roads. This has resulted to delay and death to transporters, conductors and even passengers who refused to give them the money on demand by the police.

The advance fee fraud known generally as ‘419’ cannot be fought by the Nigeria police force, another body was set up to tackle financial and related crimes. The pervasiveness of ‘419’ had made businessmen who were being increasing spurned by the international business community because of distrust brought about by advance fee fraud. The established body EFCC (The economic and financial crime commission). Since it inception had also prosecuted officials involved in corrupt enrichment. The worst of it all was the prosecution of a former inspector General of Police.

The isolation of the police from those they are supposed to serve often produces a siege mentality since the police have little regular contact or good interpersonal relationship with ordinary citizens. A person from a humble background for example has lees chance of having his course takes up by the police appropriately. The citizens lack confidence in police, this has often led to problem in police investigation of crime because members of the public most often do not want to be involve in police cases such as reporting crimes which they have witness neither would they give a necessary information which could help them in discharging their duty. Citizens sometimes prefer punishing offenders when caught instead of reporting to the police.