Corrupt policing in Nigeria and public cynicism towards the law

What is it about?

This study empirically examines the everyday problem of corrupt policing and other related abuses in Nigeria, and how these deviant behaviours engender public cynicism towards the law. In any democratic society, police officers are expected to be accountable for their actions and inactions. But the perennial problem in Nigeria is that police is not accountable to anyone. The history of Nigeria police is littered with records of deviance, malevolent attitude towards the public, and failure of police organisation to detect or discipline erring officers. Using a sample of 462 participants from a cross-sectional survey, this study examines whether actual or vicarious experiences of police deviance will likely predict public cynicism towards the law. This current study corroborated previous assertions that the relationship between the police and the public is not great and that police deviance engenders cynicism towards the law. Implications for policymaking and law-abiding behaviour are discussed.

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Why is it important?

I argued in this study that the police must be reformed to a democratically accountable institution, where the objective of policing would be to serve the public in a procedurally fair manner and without prejudice. To do this, Nigerian government would be expected to establish national, state, and local government stakeholders’ forum, where public deliberation about police abuse, corruption, and other matters concerning policing are discussed. Such forum will be independent of any political affiliation or influence. It would serve as the nodal point between the public, the police, and the three tiers of government will deliberate about police affairs with a view to investigating police deviance, public grievances, and to monitor government’s efforts in promoting affective links between the public and the police.