POLICE CORRUPTION - THE NATURE, EXTENT, EFFECTS PROBLEMS AND SOLUTION - IN NIGERIA



BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 
            Police corruption is not a progressive system within the national social structure. Police is meant to enforce the laws of the nation and bring peace to the citizen. They decay of the aims for which the police is created and for no acceptable reasons require to be looked into. What are those conditions that so surround the police corruption in the country? What factors influence the continuation of police corruption? It is said that police corruption is on the increase not minding all the efforts made to stop corruption or to greatly reduce it.

            According to Ortiz and Peterson (1994), Police work is often unpleasant. police often have to deal with ugly situations and antisocial behaviour. Police are police are lied to, spit upon and sworn at. They see unspeakable atrocities. Because of their shared experiences and unique exposure to their community, many police officers develop negative characteristics as coping mechanisms.
            What actually baffles the people is, the idea that police x-ray corruption within the practice of the law itself for example, Ndubise (1991) emphasized that police hid and delay the file of suspect and bring them out when offered bribe. According to Nkaru (1994) police pay money to their superior authorities to be posted where they take bribe. This type of action strongly influences bribery and corruption in the police force as a police in the office will be relatively poor when compared with one in the field.
            According to Wilsom (1968) where ever there is police there is corruption. The government should always look for how to solve the problem. what ever surrounds the police and influences corruption in the nation, one thing is clear that if the view of some people as regards police corruption is accepted hook and sink, Nigerians shall not blame anybody on police corruption than to do all they can to reduce it. According to Isiche and Burn. (1977) police corruption is a vestige of the colonel master. British police was corrupt when they came into this country. Corrupt messengers of Obars, Emirs and Chiefs were the first police group. 

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM       
            Corruption exists in the country. It includes illegal procedure used by a person or persons in authority to extort money or material things from the public Clinard and Abbott (1973) opined that corruption is found in many countries of Africa and beyond. The police as law enforcement unit is made to arrest and prosecute corrupt people for they are criminals. But on the contrary, the police is involved in corrupt deals. The problems are; who then enforces the law against corruption? What is the effect of police corruption on law enforcement? What is the effect of police corruption on law enforcement? Another problem is that police some times take bribe openly at any place they mount check point. When the researcher visited Onitasha by August 2011, he discovered that from Abakaliki to Onitsha on the express road, there were twenty three check points, At each check point police took money from motorists. Drivers gave the money happily to the police provided the police will not look at the vehicle documents to know whether the vehicle particulars are current or not. The action is open and not hidden that an observer will feel that bribery is legalized in the country of that it is organized from the senior police officers down to the least recruit. By this action, the police field officers take bribe openly without any fear of report to their superior officers. Worse still, why should police take money from drivers at road blocks without fearing that the vehicle could be carrying their superior officers from any police untie in the country.
            Police are known to demand money from the public when they go for arrests and even hide criminals file to extort money. This should not happen. As Dixon and Trojan (1974) opined, that police should keep away from corrupt practices even where the public is involved. The practice of corruption by the police which is on the increase is a problem because since they go on unabated, other honest police can be lured into it. It appears that corruption is part of the police force dating from the colonial master the growth of corruption is continuous and steady. It is a problem since the practice is increasing and not reducing. What then is the panacea to it? How then can it be reduced? A measure by the government to reduce corruption is Obasanjos Anti corruption bill. The group to enforce the law is the police who are involved in corrupt practices. This is why Badejo (2000) opined that after the inauguration of the bill, corruption remained with us as before even to a more worrisome degree. The problem is that the Anti corruption unit meant to sensitize the public on evils of corruption may not have succeeded. This study will therefore look at the various efforts made by the government and the police to reduce police corruption with a view to improve on them.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS                             
1. What is the nature and extent of police corruption in Ebonyi State?
2. How effective is the police in fighting corruption within its rank and file?
3. How do the public see police corruption?
4. Is it true that the more the police are educated, the less corrupt they become?
5. What can the country do to reduce police corruption?

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY   
Specifically the study will attempt
1. To identity the nature and effect of police corruption in Nigeria using Ebonyi State as example.
2. To ascertain how corruption affect police performance in terms of their constitutional role.
3. To find out how public perceives police corruption.
4. To find out whether police corruption is related to the officers’ level of education.
5. To offer suggestions which when implemented can reduce police corruption.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY      
They study has both practical and theoretical significance. Practically the study will add to the existing body of knowledge in area of corruption with specific reference to public perceptions on police corruption in Nigeria. Further, it will investigate the problematic issues of police corruption in Nigeria with special references to Ebonyi State. Issue of corruption has generally damaged community. Nigeria is currently rated as the third most corrupt nation of the world. According to Salih (2004) international puts Nigeria as the second or third most corrupt country in the world. For that, it is taken literally that Nigeria are most corrupt people in the world.
Therefore, the study will be of immense contribution in the attempt to understand problematic issues in the country, more particularly in the police force that is expected to be in their law enforcement function. This study will also expose different dimension of police corruption. Finally, this study will make appropriate recommendations on how to drastically reduce corruption in Nigeria generally and police in Nigeria particularly. Theoretically the study will add to the growth of existing literature in areas of police corruption more especially to future researchers in the study of public perception on police corruption. The study will make the public to know whether corruption in the police force is the outcome of the public corruption or the police itself.

OPERATIONALIZATION OF CONCEPTS                          
            It is an accepted practice in a study of this kind to define some of the concepts used, so as to make clearer their meanings. In keeping with this tradition, the following concepts are defined here under: police, corruption, crime, bribery and police corruption.

Police: Police as used in this study refers to uniformed and specially train people, by the government whose constitutional and statutory function are to maintain law and order.
Corruption: Corruption according to Thompson (1998) is taking benefit in cash or kind from anybody to deprive another of rights or benefits meant for the person as the procedure and the rules that lead to achieve the rights or benefits are avoided.
Crime:  Tappan (1947) defined crime as an intentional act in violation of criminal law, committed without defence or excuse, and panelized by the state either as a felony or misdemeanor. Crime as used in this study includes all violations of the criminal law which are punishable by the law.
Bribery: It is an act of persuading another to act improperly in ones favour by a gift of money (Thompson 1998). In this work, bribe includes all acts done by a person to sway justice in his favour or in favour of another after consideration in cash or kind. Bribery and corruption are used reciprocally to mean the same thing in this paper.
Police Corruption: Is “any forbidden act which involves the misuse of the officer’s official position for actual or expected material reward or gain (Barker and Carter 1994 a, P56). As used in this study, police corruption is moving away from work in all actions or inactions by the police while on duty, aimed at undue deprivation or favour of any form against persons or organizations carried out after receiving favour in cash or kind.
Share on Google Plus

Declaimer - MARTINS LIBRARY

The publications and/or documents on this website are provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of these sample documents is subjected to your own decision NB: Join our Social Media Network on Google Plus | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

READ RECENT UPDATES HERE