AN ASSESSMENT OF THE UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNETHICAL CONDUCTS OF THE NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE

Abstract

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is saddled with the responsibilities of the preservation of law and order, the preservation and detection of crimes, the apprehension of offenders, and the protection of lives and property in Nigeria. The study assessed the unprofessional and unethical conduct of the Nigerian Police Force. Thus, the study employed secondary source of data and contends that family and friend(s) pressure to make wealth, poor police funding, corrupt systems in Nigerian society, unpatrotism, excessive intake of drugs and alcohol, power, arms, and ammunition intoxication, enthusiasm for quick money and gratification, the godfather's protection, and obeying corrupt hierarchy orders and instructions, etc are the causes of the unprofessional and unethical conduct of the NPF. These unprofessional and unethical conducts of the NPF have led to unlawful and extrajudicial killings, illness, internal and external injuries, brutality, extortion, and torture of many Nigeria citizens outside and inside the police detentions. The integrity of the force is at stake, as many Nigerians have lost faith and trust in the NPF. The study concludes that to rejuvenate the NPF to professional and ethical conduct, urgent measures by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the NPF must be put in place to restore professional and ethical policing in Nigeria on the path of citizens trust, confidence, love, support, respectability, and lawfulness. By way of nipping this in the bud, the study made some recommendations; one such recommendation is that all unprofessional and unethical police officers (SARS inclusive) must be made accountable for their actions, as this will serve as a deterrent to others towing the same path.