Behind the Uniform: Police Violence and Abuse before EndSARS Protests in Nigeria (1999-2020)

Abstract

This study explores the violence and abuse by personnel of the Nigeria Police before the EndSARS protests in Nigeria in October, 2020. Adopting the library research method, the study made use of documentary evidence from reports of reputable organizations, journals, working papers and newspaper articles to highlight that despite the existence of the constitution, international conventions, Police Codes, etc which are instituted and deployed to regulate the conduct of Nigeria Police, police violence and abuse of citizen’s rights were rampant and widespread before the EndSARS protests. It was found that while it may be considered that poor governance and poor funding contributed to Police violence and abuse in Nigeria, the root cause is situated in the history of having served as the instrument by which colonialists perpetrated the culture exploitation of Nigeria through violence, brutality, abuse and gross violation. It recommends the adoption of strategic police reforms that will emphasize re-orientation of the police in Nigeria through concerted training and re-training programs to wean it off the colonial vestiges of class inequalities and contradictions in the exercise of its powers. This will vitiate the usual resort to gross violation, the culture that encourages violence and rights abuse and make the Nigeria Police not just an efficient and effective body, but also a trusted and affective partner in security and nation building.