An Appraisal of the Legal Framework for Law Enforcement in Nigeria

Abstract

Just like any typical society, the Nigerian society has needs to regulate the conduct of its people in a
manner that peace and order is guaranteed. In that spirit, various law enforcement agencies have been
established, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the
National Intelligence Agencies, etc. In spite of the proliferation of these law enforcement agencies, the
Nigerian society is still bedeviled with high crime rate, high corruption rate, flagrant abuse of human
rights, and general sense of underachievement as a nation. The objective of this paper is to appraise the
legal framework for law enforcement in Nigeria. The paper made use of doctrinal research methodology
through the use of primary source such as statutes and regulations as well as secondary source such as
books, academic journals, newspaper publications, television documentaries, Internet materials, etc. It
was found that the obstacles hindering the functionality of law enforcement agencies in Nigeria include
the proliferation of these agencies without any inter-collaborative connections; systemic corruption;
inadequate funding and infrastructural deficiencies. It was recommended that the law enforcement agents
should undergo periodic orientations to improve their efficiency; there should be more adequate funding
for these agencies; and there should be more symbiosis among the various law enforcement agencies.