THE ERODING TRUST IN NIGERIA'S LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES: A CALL TO ACTION

The State of Law Enforcement in Nigeria

Every law enforcement agent was set up to serve one need or the other to protect the very interest of the citizens. The Nigeria Police Force and related forces were set up to help address some internal concerns while the Military are expected to address external threats. Those who have been enlisted in the Military or paramilitary forces are supposed to be seen as serving the Nation, hence ought to be respected for that.

The Eroding Trust

Over the decades, the expectation that these persons are supposed to be serving the citizens is rapidly dying down. It has become worrisome that over the years, many citizens have been made to believe that these persons in forces are serving the interest of a selected few at the expense of the majority. This and other factors have contributed highly to a decrease in the respect and regard for uniform personnel. The citizens no longer see the uniform as something that was earned, labored for with the passion to serve, rather it is seen as a means to an end for personal survival. The uniforms of any of the forces are supposed to be seen as a national symbol and respected as that; however, today the reverse is the case.

 

The Importance of Conduct

In an ideal situation, when any of the uniforms is seen, there is the aura it carries; the respect is bestowed on the uniform, not actually to the person. In the same manner, the person putting on the uniform should conduct themselves in a manner that would bring honour and dignity to the country. For those trained to wear the uniform, there is a code of ethics that they are supposed to uphold as a guide. Either some may have forgotten, or the events of the circumstance they are in may have overtaken it.

The Current Reality

Recently, we are beginning to see pictures and videos on social media of how persons who are putting on these supposed dignified uniforms are getting involved in unwholesome and messy behaviours that in turn ridicule the uniform. While on the human side, people begin to carry out unwholesome acts, use derogatory languages, intimidation, and outright violation of human rights. In as much as some of these acts have been debunked and some persons involved have been punished, there have not been tangible actions to convince the citizens to put their trust and confidence in those putting on the uniforms.

The Need to Convince Nigerians

Nigerians need to get convinced about the following:

1.     That the Military are not out to intimidate and dehumanize the citizens;

2.     That the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) are not out to extort, intimidate, and dehumanize the citizens, as well as compromise investigation for monetary gains;

3.     That the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) are not using the state of the roads and other things to extort motorists instead of making the road safer for them;

4.     That the Nigeria Civil Defense & Security Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), The Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Correctional Services are not out to use their given assignment to enrich their pockets at the expense of upholding the dignity of the country;

5.     That the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and Related Offences (ICPC), Department of State Security Services (DSS), National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) are not keeping a blind eye to offenders who have settled and deal ruthlessly with those who refuse to settle, as well as innocent suspects;

6.     That the Local Vigilantes are not using their uniform as easy access to get arms and ease of travel.

 

The Problem of Selective Justice

We have seen that money, relationships, religion, culture, and a whole lot of other factors can now be used to cover crimes and offenses that some perpetrators still walk with their heads high on the streets. Some have even threatened to wreck more havoc as they seem to be above the law. This singular act has made many Nigerians believe that justice remains for the highest bidder and no hope for the common man. This has negatively affected the trust for our law enforcement agencies and their agents.

 

The Rise of Jungle Justice

This is also one of the factors that fuels jungle justice, and the frustration from it has made people take laws into their hands. On a very sad note, the citizens have also started demonstrating a lack of respect for the uniforms by fighting and assaulting those putting on these uniforms. On May 20, 2025, there was news that the Yahoo Boys are fighting the officers of the Nigeria Police Force - how such a thing could be imagined, let alone it is happening.

Any citizen that assaults any officer on uniform or in the line of duty is actually disrespecting our country, Nigeria. We must not keep our eyes closed, nor our mouths shut, and be seeing these menaces continue. We must continue to ask, where did we miss it? so we can go and correct it. The authorities need to take urgent action to address this.

Looking at our law enforcement agents, many of their men and officials have been accused of collecting money or other forms of gifts to cover up crimes or offenses for those who can afford it, while those who cannot are made to face the consequences. These monies or gifts find their way into private pockets for personal enrichment.

It is also important to state that while in some cases the victims volunteer these monies to get off the hook of crimes or offenses committed, in many other cases, they part with the money under threat, duress, or extreme extortion strategy. With the authorities appearing to be keeping a blind eye to this and not putting measures in place to address them, citizens do not take their actions seriously, especially with the Nigeria Police Force.

It has almost become a norm that, irrespective of the crime, the amount of money the suspect is able to part with would go a long way to determine the outcome. Over the years, "bail is free" has been a slogan in the police station; however, Nigerians have come to the conclusion that bail is free but you must part with something before leaving any police station once you step in. Even the officer collecting the money would say "bail is free."

The Consequences

This has negatively affected the trust for our law enforcement agencies and their agents. The agencies and their agents have faced stiff resistance and lack of support from the citizens. A cursory look at all the various uniforms in Nigeria, there is almost none that citizens can have 100% trust in; if the citizens sight any of them, there is always this apprehension, and this ought not to be. The citizens do not trust them and have lost confidence in them, with the belief that any useful information provided that would have served as intelligence would be used against them in the future.

 

The Way Forward

As a way of addressing these issues and charting a way forward, we need the authorities - the Presidency, National Assembly, and the Head of these Agencies - to answer some questions:

a)     How adequate are welfare packages for the officers in the forces?

b)     How equipped are they in terms of knowledge and equipment to carry out their assigned duties?

c)     How effective are the trainings they are exposed to, beginning from training school and on the job?

d)     Does their training school curriculum address recent developments and current best practices?

e)     How effective are the monitoring and evaluation of their activities for quality improvement?

 

Conclusion

We cannot do without the services of our law enforcement agencies and agents; however, a lot can be done to improve their service to the citizens. Deliberate and concerted efforts need to be in place to address their concerns.

 

Dr. Bright Oniovokukor

Chairman, Civil Society Observatory Group on Administration of Criminal Justice Law, Edo State