A public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls has revealed that poor welfare package, inadequate training, corruption and greed represents the major contributors to police brutality in Nigeria as 77 precent of respondent described police brutality as a prevalent issue in Nigeria.
According to the recent NOIPoll report, infringements of citizens’ rights by the police remain prevalent in Nigeria as abuses committed by members of the restructured Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and policemen at checkpoints continue to trend.
“Police misconduct is not just an old problem but remains an issue of strong public concern as well, brutality and other forms of misconduct are caused by poor welfare package as well as inadequate training”.
According to the report, illegal activities by Nigerian police personnel are common across the country as 83 per cent of respondent identified bribe taking as rampant among the police force.
“Nigerian public has a nuanced understanding and appreciation of issues around the performance of the Nigerian police. The direction of public opinion is quite sympathetic to the sub-optimal conditions in which policemen and women do their jobs”.
The polls recommend that improving the welfare of police personnel, instituting a proper recruitment and training and implementing police reforms remain a panacea for illegal activities perpetrated by police in Nigeria.
Speaking on the findings, Chike Nwangwu, CEO of NOI Polls, said that the consistent reports of alleged abuses by SARS and other police personnel in social media are not new adding that improving the welfare of policemen as a key part of the solution is very significant.
