THE NIGERIAN POLICE AND DEMOCRATIC SUSTENANCE IN NIGERIA FOURTH REPUBLIC

THE NIGERIAN POLICE AND DEMOCRATIC SUSTENANCE IN NIGERIA FOURTH REPUBLIC

ABSTRACT

This investigation dealt with the Nigeria police and democratic sustenance in Nigeria fourth republic.Chapter one discusses general introduction of the study, background of the study, statement of the problem, research methodology, limitation of the study and definition of terms. Chapter two discussed about the literature review, police as an institution, history of Nigerian police, problems of Nigerian police, police-citizens-relationship.

Chapter three focuses on the method used in collecting data and how the method has been validated, it also discusses the sample and sampling techniques used to sample the general public in Oyo metropolis in which one-hundred and twenty people were used as sample for the study and the instrument designed for the study were questionnaire. In selecting sample for the study, the researcher used simple sample techniques.

Chapter four of this project work concern with question designed for the collection of data and analysis of the overall responses. Summary conclusion and recommendation that the police force should be properly equipped and also given support by the government to enable them to discharge their constitutional duties stated in the chapter five of this study.

CHAPTER ONE

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Lives and properties of people (citizens) in the country are very important and these must be protected by the government. There should be maintenance of peace and orderliness in the society. This is also the function and duty of government. Every modern state in the world is governed by laws enshrined in a constitution drawn up for the good, orderliness, peace, unity and development of the state and their citizens.

Man is no longer in the state of nature where everyone can just take law into his own hand. There is now sovereign state that makes sure that lives of the people and their properties are secured.

Etannibi (2005) says, police as the critical agent of the state charged with the enforcement of laws and maintenance of orders. There action or inaction has serious implication on citizens.

There are many military and security agencies (the army, navy, air force, civil defense corps, the Nigeria police e.t.c). In the state which are set up to provide internal and external security for Nigerian and Nigeria’s territory. The police is an official security agency whose function is to make people obey the law and to prevent crime. The people who work for this agency are expected to make peace for the citizen.

Police is an institution which is charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and also sees to the peace of the society. But over the years and especially in Nigeria the fate of the people about security is very much uncertain.

Many times we hear about cases of organized crimes and criminality every now and then in Nigeria.

Up till today, it is somehow very disturbing that despite the constitutional power granted to the police to maintain public peace, safety and general security in Nigeria the quality of security has nothing to be proud of and it has no doubt generated a great deal of controversies. In the past two decades event confirm a total breakdown of public order and security in Nigeria, the police has not been useful or helpful in promoting its own image before the general public as there were persistent cases of violent robbery, inter-ethnic conflicts, religious crises, extra-judicial killings by security agents, political assassinations.

THE NIGERIAN POLICE AND DEMOCRATIC SUSTENANCE IN NIGERIA FOURTH REPUBLIC