PERCEPTION OF THE PUBLIC TOWARDS THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table of contents
List of tables
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
Background to the study
Statement of the problem
Purpose of the study
Significance of the study
Delimitation of the study
Definition of terms
CHAPTER TWO:
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Meaning of police force
Origin of police force and History of
the Nigeria
police
Administration/Organizational
structure of Nigeria
police
General duties of the Nigeria police
force.
The perception of the public towards
the Nigeria
police
CHAPTER THREE:
RESEARCH METHOD
Research Design
Population of the study
Sample and Sampling Technique
Instrument
Administration of the instrument
Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR:
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Results
Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
Finding
Conclusion
Recommendation
References
Appendix
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ABSTRACT
This
research was carried out to investigate the perception of the public towards
the Nigeria
police force. In order to collect
relevant data, a questionnaire was designed and administered on a sample of 120
people randomly selected in Ikere local government area of Ekiti State. Data collected were analyzed using percentage
score. The findings revealed that,
corruption, fear, harassment, police effort and public participation affect
police force operation as well as public participation on crime
prevention. Based on the above findings,
it was therefore concluded that, members of the public should be enlightened
about police on how they discharge their duties in order to foster police –
public mutual understanding and police too should also be enlightened and
reminded of their primary duties to the citizenry.
LIST OF TABLE
TABLE
1: Is there any relationship between corruption and police effectiveness
TABLE
2: Is there any relationship between fear of police by public and crime
prevention.
TABLE
3: Is there any relationship between corruption and crime prevention
TABLE
4: Is there any relationship between harassment of people by police and
maintenance of law and order.
TABLE
5: Is there any relationship between police effort and public participation in
crime prevention.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
It
is a common practice by the people of any nation in the would to try to find
remedy to anything that stand as an obstacle to human peaceful existence.
Crime is a universal problem and this
has aroused the consciousness of many people towards finding solution to
reducing crime rate if it could not be completely eradicated. For the purpose of eradicating or reducing
crime, the body known as police force was constituted in England from where the organization
was later copied by every nation of the world.
The police force is simply defined in
relation to the nature and functions of its establishment, Oyemowo (2015)
defines police as:
The civil force of a state
responsible for maintaining public law and orders, it keep order in control it
is man and woman who belong to department of a government, charged or concerned
with keeping of law and order.
The vitality of the presence of
police force in Nigeria
or in any nation of the world could not be denigrated simply because of the
function performed by the police force in terms of maintaining laws and order
in order to sustain a condusive environment for the citizenry of such
nation. The police manual (1976) stated
the functions in full as: the prevention and detection of crime, the protection
of life and properly, the control and regulation of traffic, the due
enforcement of laws and regulative with which they are directly charged, the
preservation of laws and order and the performance of such military duties
within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them under the authority of the
police Act or any other Act.
Before it finally metamorphosis into Nigeria
police force in 1930, it had existed under different values in area where the
European were colonized before the southern and Northern protectorate were
amalgamated in 1914. Tamuno 1970 said that:
The force took the name consular
Guard in 1861 and in 1863, the force was known as Hausa constabulary which was
charged to Lagos
constabulary of 1886.
All the bodies mentioned above were
created for the purpose of maintaining laws and orders, each of the respective
place. If there is no any organization
having the responsibility of maintaining laws and orders in Nigeria, the
country would have been taken over by anarchy which would have been perpetrated
by the men of the under worlds or criminal.
Thus Oyemoro (2015) said that:
“If police could be off duty for
forty eight hours, public would not be able to bear the havoc that would be
wrought by men of the underworld.
The above submission shows how
important police force is to the society.
Despite the unique role being played by the police force in Nigeria, people
still have perception towards the force.
Many people have been conscious of this perception which they indicate
through their writing and their words. Oyewowo (2015) said:
“Public regard police as enemy and
look on policemen with contempt ampohere”.
This perception of public towards the
Nigeria police force is
indicated through the acting of members of the public towards the Nigeria police
and women. Thus, Nigeria Tribune of
February 7, 1998 has this as one of its heedlines: “five arrested over kinmap
of policemen”. All those words and
writings quoted above with the personal observation of the relationship between
members of the public and the policemen by this researcher had convinced the
researcher that police force of Nigeria
is facing a strong perception by the public.
Public has been talking bad of police
force because policemen are highly corrupt set of people, aiding aid abetting criminals,
incivility to members of the public, using force to obtain statement from
people, killing innocent citizens whenever there is not as unlawful
assembly. Therefore, the researcher has
decided to carry out investigation on the problem as the perception of the
members of the public has caused untold hardship on the entire citizenry.
Statement of the Problem
The problem of this study is to
investigate the perception of the public towards the Nigeria police force which is
supposed to be the protective organization that all people should embrace. The importance of the police cannot be over –
emphasized in the smooth running of any nation of the world. The duties of the Nigeria police force as stated in
the police manual 1976 are: people still have reservation about police activities. The prevention and detection of crime; the
apprehension of offender, the due enforcement of laws and regulations which
they are directly, charge, the performs of such military duties within or
outside Nigeria as may be required of them by or under the authority of police
Act or any Act and control and regulation of traffic. Despite the unique role being played by the
police in Nigeria
and in Ikere local government in particular.
Do members of the Nigeria police force contribute to the causes of
the perception of the public towards the Nigeria police force?
Do members of the public contribute
to the cause of the perception of the public towards the Nigeria police?
Does the perception of the public
towards the Nigeria police
force affect the Nigeria.
Research Question
1)
Is
there any relationship between corruption and police effectiveness?
2)
Is
there any relationship between fear of police by public and crime prevention?
3)
Is
there any relationship between corruption and crime prevention?
4)
Is
there any relationship between harassment of people by police and maintenance
of law and order?
5)
Is
there any relationship between police effort and public participation in crime
prevention?
Research Hypotheses
1)
There
is no relationship between corruption and police effectiveness
2)
There
is no relationship between fear of police by public and crime prevention.
3)
There
is no relationship between corruption and crime prevention.
4)
There
is no relationship between harassment of people by police and maintenance of
law and order.
5)
There
is no relationship between police effort and public participation in crime
prevention.
Police as an organization
Does
the perception of the public towards the Nigeria
police affect the Nigeria
police force operation.
Does
the perception of the public towards the Nigeria police affect individual
members of the police force.
Does the perception of the public toward the Nigeria police
affect member of the society.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to
investigate the perception of the public towards the Nigeria
police force in Ikere – Ekiti local government area of Ekiti State. The study would find out the reasons for the
perception and suggest ways of improving the perception of the public towards
the police force.
Significance of the study
This study is significant as it could
reveal the cause and effect of the perception of the public towards the Nigeria police
force. The study could encourage the re
– onentation of the public as that the public would change it’s perception
towards the Nigeria police
force, hence the public would be able to appreciate the role played by the Nigeria
police force.
The study could further reveal the
contributions of the members of the police force to the perception of the
public towards the Nigeria
police force.
Finally, the study could serve as
peace setter for those who would to make further research on the similar
problem in future.
Delimitation of the study
This study is restricted to Ikere –
Ekiti local government area of Ekiti
State. Members of the police
force and public were included in the study because the study will be carried
out based on the relationship between them and to solve the problem of
perception of the public towards the Nigeria police force because poor
perception of the public towards the police has reduced the relationship
between police and public on crime prevention and does not allow the due
process of law to lake it normal cause.
Poor perception has also bring about
chaos and increase crime rate in the society.
Definition of terms
Command:
Commands as used in the study means a
territory or jurisdiction under the supervision, control and the administration
of a superior police officer. Thus, we have area command otherwise known as
force Headquarters, headed by inspector general of police. He have zonal command or zonal Headquarter
which involve division of nation zone which comprises of many state under the
supervision of Assistant inspector general at police. We also have state command headed by
commissioner of police at the state level.
Finally, we have area command headed by Assistant commissioner of police
and this involves division of state into zone.
Area command comprises of many local
government councils and police Division Headquarters.
Beast
A Beast is the area which a particular
constable is detailed to patrol in order to achieve crime prevention role of
police force.
Superior Officer(s)
Begin(s) from the rank of inspector
general of police to the rank of Assistant superintendent of police.
Rank and file
Begin(s) from the rank of constable
to the rank sergeant
Public
Public in this sense means all
citizens of Nigeria
in general be it traders, farmers, Business man, politicians and ordinary
layman (expect policemen) irrespective of stratification.
