Investigation Of The Effect Of Corruption ,Extortion In Conventional Police Stations On The Nigerian Citizens

Investigation Of The Effect Of Corruption ,Extortion In Conventional Police Stations On The Nigerian Citizens

Chapiter 1

Introduction

1.1 The study’s context

Corruption is one of the obstacles to Nigeria’s national development and economic expansion. The former military regime, which ruled from 1983 to 1998, used corruption as justification for toppling the government. Additionally, Olusegun Obasanjo, the previous president, described corruption as “the country’s biggest problem, that pervades all aspects of human life: from the home to both public and private institutions” during his first term inauguration speech (Igbuzor, 2008:21 ; Adebayo 2005:94). The phenomena of corruption is now pervasive, deeply ingrained in society, and has virtually taken on the status of a way of life. According to Preye Inokoba and Weleayan Ibegu (2011:283), “corruption generally has eaten so deeply into Nigeria’s body politics that its practice is seen more like a societal norm than an exception.” Since one may do very little to gain or earn so much, people now believe that hard labor, honesty, and integrity—all of which contribute to the essence of humankind—are no longer worthy principles. Bribery, fraud, embezzlement, extortion, favoritism, and nepotism are examples of corrupt behaviors in Nigeria (Aluko, 2009:5). These behaviors have negatively impacted national growth, political stability, and good governance, leading to extreme hardships, a high unemployment rate, the escalation of poverty and inequality, and subpar service delivery, such as the provision of water and electricity.

One of the most significant institutions in society is the police. They have the legal authority to defend the citizenry, even when doing so calls for using force. The police are held to higher standards than most other modern professionals. Even in the face of grave disasters like death, deformity, etc., they are required to remain courageous and to not display any human emotions like fear, astonishment, surprise, etc. Without a doubt, any human society’s ability to progress and achieve a high standard of living depends on the presence of peace, safety, and security. According to Groenewald and Peake (2004), they offer the necessary enabling environment for citizens to live in and contribute toward the social, economic, and political growth of the society. It is impossible to overstate the importance of peace, safety, and security to humanity because the economical and political development of any society depends on its security infrastructure. Likewise, its absence severely jeopardizes the growth and quality of life of both people and society as a whole and stifles human potential. Additionally, all citizens suffer from the effects of insecurity when they suffer losses of property, life, or limb, or when they lose confidence due to a fear of violence. The provision of safety and security is seen as a reasonable public good and the fundamental foundation of the state in light of this (Lubuva, 2004). Human rights such as safety and security do in fact have intrinsic value and play a crucial role in fostering human fulfillment and prosperity (Odinkalu 2005).

Despite having a significant obligation to safeguard the people and uphold the rule of law, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is frequently perceived by the general public as a dishonest organization. This is because police abuse is frequently reported in the media. Despite the considerable efforts made by the government in policy and regulatory control, corruption within the Nigerian police force is so pervasive that it is challenging to monitor. The problem of police misconduct has become an ethical problem as a result of the government’s failed efforts to combat corruption. Given the level of police corruption in recent years, the researcher’s hypothesis for this study is that the numerous anti-corruption initiatives have not had a significant impact on society as a whole. The researcher makes the case that traditional culture must be included in the policy makers’ search for a solution in order to determine whether it has any principles that can counteract corruption in the modern Nigerian Police Force. In other words, it is necessary to investigate additional strategies that might be able to contribute to ideals that will effectively reduce police corruption.

1.2 Description of the research problem

Despite having a significant obligation to safeguard the people and uphold the rule of law, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is frequently perceived by the general public as a dishonest organization. This is because police abuse is frequently reported in the media. The rank and file’s ingrained inclination to corruption, In addition, tarnishing the force’s reputation hampers it from effectively carrying out its tasks. Allegations of police personnel seeking bribes from offenders, the police demanding money from traffic violators, etc. are numerous. The ineffectiveness of the police is undoubtedly a result of Nigerians’ failure and the public’s enduring reluctance to report crimes. Many individuals are concerned that an upright person who reports a crime can occasionally end up being a suspect rather than being commended. Due to the consequences involved, many people may witness a crime being committed while doing nothing about it. Lack of advanced tools to combat crime is another weakness of the force. A reliable and effective communication network for police is lacking. A necessary component for an effective force is missing: the walkie-talkie. Additionally lacking is a mobile transit system. Additionally, some of the firearms used by the police are insufficient, obviously outdated, or both.

Goals of the study, paragraph 1.3

The main goal of this investigation is to

to look into how Nigerian residents are affected by corruption in traditional police stations

to determine what causes corruption In Nigeria’s traditional police stations

to learn how extortion and corruption in Nigeria might be eliminated or minimized.

1.4 Questions for future research

Do you believe that corruption in Nigeria’s traditional police stations has an impact on the populace?

Do you believe that corruption has a root cause?

Do you believe that corruption can be eliminated or reduced in traditional police stations?

1.5.2 Importance of the research

This study’s importance should not be understated because:

The focus of this study will be on examining how Nigerian civilians are affected by corruption and extortion in traditional police stations.

The results of this study will surely give government organizations, NPF, people, NGOS, and academia the information they need.

1.6 Study’s range of inquiry

This study aims to look into how Nigerian individuals are affected by extortion and corruption in traditional police stations. As a result, the scope of this study is confined to police stations in Lagos State, which will serve as our basis for our case study.

Limitations of the study, paragraph 1.7

The following are some of the variables that limited this study:

Given the current state of the economy, financial restrictions are unavoidable. due to a shortage of funding available to the researchers to purchase supplies and print questionnaires. Some police stations and some of the corruption victims could not be visited.

The issue of inadequate data exists in emerging nations like Nigeria.

Time is a factor that also poses limitations because the researcher must juggle writing the research and doing other academic work, which is uncomfortable.

1.8 Operational definitions of key terms

Investigating something or someone is known as an investigation.

Corruption is when persons in positions of authority act dishonestly or fraudulently.

Conventional definition: based on or in keeping with accepted practices or beliefs.

Police station: This is a structure that houses police officers and other staff employees.