CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Crime is in the society is viewed as one of the most factual occurrence which confront

people in this modern age (Giddens, 2014). Inspector General of Police stated in a lecture

delivered to Participants of National War College, Abuja that ‘perhaps the most potent threat to

national security of any country is crime. Ugwuoke (2010) pointed out that crime and criminality

are as old as mankind. Marshall (2018) revealed that crime is a global feature of all human

societies. The reason for this according to Marshall is because there is no human society where

norms and values are not violated, from the simplest hunting and gathering societies to the most

complex civilized societies. It is because of this universal character of crime that every society is

expected to have ‘specific mechanisms for the overall interest and wellbeing of the generality of

the populace’ (Igbo, 2017).

Ezuugwu (2011) noted that Nigerian society is taking a dangerous path, a path to

nowhere (crime leads to nowhere but destruction), a path to destruction. That the society is really

adrift, a regrettable drifts, sustained by a wave of criminality and lawlessness. That Nigerians

these days sleep with one eye closed because of the fear of the rampaging effects of armed

robbery and other associated crimes. Each day comes with its stories of one form of crime or the

other. Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves because the society prepares the crime

while the criminals commit it. Failure of government to meet up with its basic duties of meeting

the primary needs of the citizen, criminal activities keeps increasing in the society.
 Alemika and Chukwuma (2010) noted that as a result of police inefficiency and

ineffectiveness in crime prevention and control, detection and apprehension of criminals, poor

rule of law records, the violation of human rights, lack of accountability, incivility and wide-

scale corruption, the public holds the police in low esteem and is fearful of their brutality,

extortion and ineffectiveness. The public loss of trust and confidence in the police and in the

state, in the face of unrelenting upsurge in violent crimes in the society, necessitated the advent

and formation of informal policing strategies, otherwise known as vigilantism or neighbourhood

watch (Abrahansen & Williams, 2015). Increasing attention has been given to informal policing,

and it is seen as a rational response of poor communities to the weak criminal justice system,

with regards to low policing and high levels of criminality (Adewale, 2017). Despite this

development, the nation still finds it difficult to integrate the activities of the informal police

sector into mainstream policing in Nigeria.

The most frequently recorded mechanism by which vigilante and neighborhood watch is

supposed to reduce crime is by arresting anyone with suspicious activities and reporting these to

the police. The relationship between reporting and crime reduction is not always well explained

in the literature. More so, it has been argued that close surveillance might prevent crime as a

result of its effect on the views and decision making of potential offenders. Hence, watching and

reporting might deter offenders if they are aware of the propensity of the local residents to report

suspicious behavior and if they perceive this as increasing the risks of being caught.

Consequently, vigilante/neighborhood watch can be an option that can enhance the

effectiveness of the police force in Nigeria. Neigbourhood watch is perhaps the most popular and

most demanded policing method among the law enforcement agencies, and has been

implemented by many countries including United States, Germany and India. In the United
States, where neighbourhood watch practices started with decentralized police systems,

neighbourhood watch is accepted as a philosophy and practice that has been recognized as the

most important contemporary police innovation designed to reduce crime and ensure effective

policing (Zhoe, 2013).

Regional policing as a crime reduction approach is a security system in which members

of the public are involved in the conduct of protecting their territories to aid the efforts of the

police in crime control by supplying useful information to law enforcement agencies in the

neighbourhood (Eke, 2019). In regional policing, the community is always expected to involving

in the policing duty through volunteer schemes, establishing neighbourhood support systems and

augmenting police patrol activities.

Strong communities are relatively linked to prevention of crime and reduction of fear of

crime (Giddens, 2014). Without sustained public contact, officers would be unable to exercise

their discretion appropriately and would find themselves isolated, increasingly hostile and unable

to empathize with the public. In view of this, seven senior officers from Nigerian police in 2003

went to U.K and U.S.A respectively to do a comparative study of regional policing (Anucha,

2017). It was launched on the 27th day of April 2004 by the Inspector-General of Police Tafa

Balogun during the era of President Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

A significant task that is important for the police to achieve success in guaranteeing the

security of life and property of the citizens in the country is to secure the support and

understanding of individuals and communities. Therefore, the role performed by the non-state

actors such as the traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other members of the community in

crime detection, prevention and reduction for the achievement of security cannot be
underestimated (Adeyefa, 2012). Scholars have postulated that when the Nigeria Police Force

work closely with the community, people or locals, they would be able to curb crime and

criminality in their respective areas of jurisdiction. It is on these premises that this study seeks to

examine regional policing and crime reduction in Nigeria by using Amotekun as a case study.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Crime is no doubt one of the major social challenges confronting Nigeria today. The

manifestation of this is evident in that no day passes without the national dailies carrying report

of one form of crime or the other, ranging from murder, forcible rape, aggravated assault, child

sexual abuse, herdsmen killings, political assassination, kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary,

motor vehicle theft, oil pipe line explosion/bunkering by the militants groups, issues of bombings

by Boko Haram, cybercrimes and child trafficking. For example, reports abound of armed

robbers using dynamites and hand grenades to blow up the doors of bullion van conveying

money with full police escort or using rocket propelled grenades to attack helicopters (Soyombo,

2015). Similarly, kidnapping which used to be a localized problem in some communities in

Nigeria has assumed a national character, now, targeting the rich and the powerful that are now

living in grave fear and uncertainty.

As a response to the security challenges in the country, many communities and

neighborhoods as well as governments, have made increasing recourse, to formal and informal

security providers, such as regional policing, Community Based Security/Neighbourhood

Watch/Vigilante and the recently formed by the south western Governors; Amotekun group

structures to improve their safety and security conditions. Reports indicate that as high as 50% of
Nigerians patronize the services of these community based security operatives for their

protection from criminal attacks (Alemika and Chukwuma, 2015).

Some of the states in Nigeria, particularly, the south western state governments have

openly endorsed armed vigilante groups called Amotekun as part of their campaign against

crime. Recently, the south western Governors were reported to have encouraged various

stakeholders in their states to support the formation of Amotekun in the light of the frequent

invasion of their territories by kidnappers, armed robbers and also to curb the excesses of the

herdsmen disturbing the peace of the farmers and other dwellers in their various communities. It

is against this backdrop that the delivery of safety and security is considered a justifiable public

service to be provided by the joint efforts of the communities and state (Lubuva, 2014).

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The objective of this study is to examine regional policing and crime reduction in Nigeria

by using Amotekun as a case study. However, the specific objectives are:

i) To investigate the level of acceptance of regional policing by the people in the

community.

ii) To determine the challenges facing regional policing in Nigeria.

iii) To examine the prevalence of regional policing in Nigeria

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions were generated during the course of this study:

i) What is the level of acceptance of regional policing by the people in the community?

ii) What are the challenges facing regional policing in Nigeria?

=N=3000 INTO THIS ACCOUNT