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Abstract
This paper traces the history of
colonial social control and Policing in Nigeria, and also reviews the
literature and examines how colonialism demonized, discredited, and supplanted
the traditional system of policing. It establishes that in place of the old
(traditional) system, colonialism imposed a new (but alien) militarized
policing geared toward the colonial needs of political oppression and economic
exploitation without regard to the needs of the colonized. The postcolonial state
was thus bequeathed a corrupt police system that fails to cater to the needs of
the people. This unfortunate development explains the emergence of “ethnic
armies” in the face of corrupt and insensitive national police. Introduction In
the face of ever increasing acts of lawlessness, social disorder, armed
robbery, and senseless vindictive assassinations in Nigeria, it has become
necessary to look for causal explanations that go beyond superficial semantics.
This research work is therefore intended to add to the body of literature that
go to substantiate the claim that colonial policing was not introduced to
protect the lives and property of Africans. It was rather introduced to protect
colonial interests (traders and missionary agents) financed to serve the
economic needs of colonialism which is exploitation. Additionally, this work
will lend credence to the view that the present obstacles in the way of
effective policing in Nigeria is an inevitable aftermath of a colonial system designed
to conquer, displace, and suppress, for the sole objective of exploiting
African indigenous labor and resources. Nigeria needs to shade off neocolonial
apron that has stymied progress and embrace innovative approaches geared
towards combating the obstacles in the way of a detached professionalized
police. Some of the options are suggested in this work.
Study
Methodology
The research on obstacles to effective
policing in Nigeria is part of data collected over several years. The study
methodology is based on ethnographic observation of events as they evolve over
the years; from independence through the Nigerian civil war, various military
regimes, and (s)elected representative governments. It also includes analysis
of Nigerian newspapers and magazines, academic journal articles, books,
archival materials, and internet-based documented source materials. Other
sources of data include convenient sample personal (clarification) interviews
of selected individuals and officials whom the author felt have something
relevant to contribute. The Colonial and Post-independence Policing Experiment
The origins, development and role of the European type of police forces in
Africa are traceable to the nature of European interests in the continent and
the reactions of the indigenous people to their activities. With the advent of
colonialism came the distortion of the traditional institutions and values,
which had from time immemorial sustained harmonious relationship, peace, and
security of lives and property in the pre-colonial African communities. Thus,
the legacy of Western plantation (and in some cases racist) ideology is the
portrayal of African societies and cultures as lawless and disorderly (Onoge,
1993). This negative image had its roots in the long ordeal of the slave trade,
and later colonialism, which mediated modern Africa’s interaction with the
West. Following conquest, colonial rule was consolidated through a system that
subjugated the existing traditional informal law enforcement mechanism with the
forceful imposition of the Western idea of policing. Thus, the colonialists
introduced new laws, which replaced, or seriously threatened the efficacy of
native laws and customs, traditional religions and other sanctions, as well as
indigenous tribunals and justice. Achebe (1959) recounted a colonial
demonstration of this assertiveness in his legendary Umuofia village:
Chapters: 1 - 5
Delivery: Email
Number of Pages: 65
Price: 3000 NGN
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