POLICE CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: A PERSPECTIVE ON ITS NATURE AND CONTROL
Richard A. Aborisade John A. Fayemi · 1970
Documented evidences of endemic police corruption and its devastating effects on the rule of law in Nigeria abounds. Overtime, policing in the country has developed and changed, but corruption within its system has continued virtually unabated and largely unchanged in form and format. Rather, it has merely adjusted and adapted to developments in the Nigerian society. However, in spite of the growing rate of corrupt practices perpetrated by the police on daily basis, empirical interests on this subject of concern has continued to wane. In this paper, an attempt has been made to discuss the various aspects of police corruption in Nigeria. The main objective of the paper is to discuss the extent, causes and remedies to police corruption. We also examined if social learning theory can account for police deviance in the country. The basis of the discussion is from secondary sources like police commission reports, books, magazines, newspaper, and other sources. The authors conclude that general submission and acceptance of police corruption as an endemic problem that has defied solutions would not make the menace to abate. Therefore, it is suggested that a value reorientation need to be introduced into the system. Also, transparency in posting and promotion of officers; automation of crime and complain reporting; reduction in political interferences with police operations; and monitoring of operations and performance of the police by both internal and external agencies, were some of cogent recommendations made.