Balanced Policing Model in the Republic of Nigeria

Abstract

This paper represents an effort to trace Nigeria's political culture to determine whether a police force should be organised nationally and/or locally. Because kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, fraud, corruption, etc. are threatening the sense of security in the nation, the issue of whether to continue with a centralised police system or return to a decentralised system is considered. By studying Nigeria from the perspective of political evolution, starting from the amalgamation in 1914 with shared police responsibilities, through coups and civil war, to the present day, when the federal government has exclusive power in policing, it is found that a Balanced Policing Model will work effectively and efficiently to maintain order, create a sense of security and promote democratic principles in Nigeria. The Balanced Policing Model is a proactive philosophy that is found to be the best policing model for Nigeria, as determined by local political culture. Although society is responsible for and answerable to the kind of police it chooses to have – whether by deliberation, power struggle or total neglect – the fact remains that policing is complex and too important to be left to the Nigerian Police Force as it is presently constituted.