CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It is an unavoidable fact that Nigeria’s recent unprecedented surge of political assassinations, murders, armed banditry, kidnapping, and general outbreak of insecurity has put both the government and the populace on edge. There are several security threats that cut across the country’s nooks and crannies. According to Achumba, Ighomereho, and Akpor-Robaro (2013), this has made national security a major issue for the government, prompting large budgetary allocations for security. Terrorism, abduction, armed robbery and banditry, suicide bombings, religious killings, ethnic clashes, politically motivated killings, and other types of criminal activity are becoming more common in the region. Nigeria has consistently ranked low in the Global Peace Index (GPI, 2012), indicating that the country’s security situation has deteriorated (Achumba, Ighomereho & Akpor-Robaro, 2013). According to Onifade, Imhonopi, and Urim (2013), the challenges of insecurity have grown to enormous proportions, forcing the country’s political and economic leaders, as well as the entire nation, to lament the loss of loved ones, investment, and lack of safety in most parts of the country. The rate, at which innocent blood is wasted on a daily basis, as well as the citizens’ outbursts of bottled-up rage, remains a source of concern. According to Nwaze (2011), the rate of bloodshed during the Nigerian civil war is “child’s play” in comparison to the terrorist attacks that occur every few months. The country’s insecurity problem appears to have outgrown government capacity. According to Uhunmwuangho & Aluforo (2011) in Achumba, Ighomereho & Akpor-Robaro (2013), the government’s efforts have not yielded enough positive results. Onifade, Imhonopi, and Urim(2013) proposed that there is a link between rising ethnic hatred, religious bigotry, political rivalry, and a growing population of disgruntled citizens in the country who have been short-changed and have limited or no access to the common inheritance. According to Egwu (2011) in Onifade, Imhonopi, and Urim (2013), the primordial tendencies of various ethnic militias erupting and the preponderant religious fundamentalism in places, as expressed by some sections of the dominant religious establishments in Nigeria, have inevitably aggravated the scale and propensity of insecurity and widened its scope in Nigeria. In addition to the foregoing revelations, various scholars such as Egwu (2011) and Odekunle (2015) have identified the same factors that are to blame for Nigeria’s current state of insecurity. They claimed that the Nigerian government’s response to the crises of mass unemployment and fuel scarcity has exacerbated the country’s crime problem. Poverty, unemployment, declining income, and low savings, which has pushed many retrenched people into a struggle for survival, high inflation, and political intolerance on the part of the ruling party, as previously mentioned, have all contributed to the country’s high rate of insecurity. The provision of security is one of the primary goals of any nation’s government. The role is highlighted in the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution, which states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government” (Section 14(2)). (b). The government delegated the responsibility for maintaining internal security to the Nigeria police in order to fulfill this role. By law, the Nigerian police are tasked with preventing and detecting crime, maintaining peace and order, and enforcing all laws and regulations. They are expected to carry out these responsibilities with efficiency and effectiveness. With the country’s high level of insecurity, the question on everyone’s mind is whether the police performed their duties as expected. The vast majority of people believe that the Nigerian police fall short of their expectations. They see themselves as a toothless dog who can only bark, not bite. Odekunle (2014) argued that in the current situation, there is no need to prove the Nigerian police’s non-performance. Rather, it is necessary to identify the major flaws, problems, and roadblocks that have contributed to the current state of affairs.

1. 1. This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research work
2. 2. As a source for additional understanding of the subject.
3. 3. As a source for ideas for your own research work (if properly referenced).
4. 4. For PROPER paraphrasing (see your university definition of plagiarism and acceptable paraphrase)
5. 5. Direct citing (if referenced properly)
Thank you so much for your respect to the authors copyright.