Abuse against police officers and service delivery to the Nigerian public: a study of state
criminal investigation intelligence department (SCIID) panti Lagos.
Introduction
In recent times a lot of report about police misconduct, violence and excessive use of force has
been recorded in Nigeria. Often times, police misconducts are quick to make the front papers,
social media blogs and so on. However, few or no study has been conducted on abuse against
police officers because the society does not fathom the fact that police officers are a fraction of
the entire society and that in as much as a regular citizen or member of a society is prone to all
sort of abuses so also are the police officers vulnerable to abuse. Day after day, we read stories of
officers doing bad things; theft, excessive use of force, misuse of public office, abuse of
authority and simple things like speeding are all examples of unethical behavior on the part of
those the public has entrusted to serve and protect them. The vast majority of police officers
remain truly good, hard-working and dedicated people. They strive to serve the public and do the
right thing at every turn. Unfortunately, the good work that these officers do rarely makes the
news. When it does, it doesn't carry the same lasting memory that bad news seems to. A single
disreputable act committed by a single unprofessional officer can impact the entire profession.
At the end of the day, all police officers look and act the same in the eyes of the average citizen.
An important thing for officers to remember is that what they do in uniform affects not only
themselves as individuals, but the entire agency and, perhaps, the entire profession (Timothy
2019).
Study has shown that there is correlation between a mother who has a history of abuse either
from her spouse or from other aspects of her daily dealings and her off springs. Especially in
Africa, when women are in abusive relationship they often transfer the aggression to their
subordinate such as their house helps and even their children either by flogging them at any
slight provocation or by serving them corporal punishment, this is because they are also nursing
some psychological implication of the abuse they went through(jerrico,2011) . This could help us
understand the reason why police officers are not professional about their service delivery as it
could be as result of the abuse against them which in turn makes them transfer aggression in the
cause of their service delivery to the Nigeria public.
Being abused does not necessarily cause psychological or medical illness to occur. However,
being abused does make it much more likely that one or more psychological or medical illnesses
will occur ( kathryn patricelli2015). According to police code of conduct “Private Life – Police
officers will behave in a manner that does not bring discredit to the Force or themselves. A
police officer’s character and conduct while off or on duty must always be exemplary, thus
maintaining a position of respect in the community in which he or she lives and serves, the
officer’s personal behavior must be beyond reproach” however, a lot of police officers have been
seen drinking and smoking while on duty. There are viral videos on the internet of police
officers that are drunk and displaying acts of nuisance in the community, where they are ought
to be seen in a positions of respect. No matter the age, gender, socioeconomic status, education
or ethnicity, anyone can become a victim of abuse. Abuse cuts across all social categories and
classes. It occurs in well educated high income areas and in low income working class areas, it
happens in all races and religions. It can occur in families (nuclear or extended), in
neighborhoods, schools, churches, and community groups. Both men and women can be abused
or abusive, and it can occur in virtually all age groups. The old can abuse the young and
the young the old. While standards are different in various cultures, it occurs in virtually all
countries as well.
For the course of this study, the word violence and abuse are going to be used interchangeably.
Violence is aggression that has extreme harm as its goal (e.g., death). All violence is aggression,
but many instances of aggression are not violence. For example, one child pushing another off a
tricycle is an act of aggression but is not an act of violence (FBI 2002).
Definition of abuse
This study is limited to interpersonal violence and excludes self-directed violence and collective
violence (insurrections, wars between states, civil war, genocide), whether economic, political or
social.
The definition of abuse evolves over time, and is many-faceted and a complex issue to begin
with. Here are a few definitions. The Council of Europe has defined violence as any act or
omission committed by a person (or group) if it endangers the life, bodily or psychic integrity, or
freedom of a person (or group) or severely compromises the development of his/her personality
and/or adversely affects his/her financial security.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), partner abuse is any act of violence within
an intimate relationship which causes physical, emotional or sexual harm or pain to the persons
involved. This definition also includes threats to commit such acts, duress or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty, whether in public or private life.
But for the purpose of this paper, abuse is defined as any act or omission that intentionally harms
or injures another person, Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal
maltreatment, emotional abuse ,injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other
types of aggression. Violence and abuse are used to establish and maintain power and control
over another person, and often reflect an imbalance of power between the victim and the abuser.
1. Physical Violence from citizens against police officers
Physical violence occurs when someone uses a part of their body or an object to control a
person’s actions. Today, the use of visuals plays an increasingly significant role in the world of
communication as personal technology from smart phones to tablets, making it possible for
anyone to share their view of the world, the instant something happens. There are a lot of
misguided and misinterpreted information spread online and even visual scene been shared on
the cyber space that makes the police appear like an enemy of the public. For example, Some
people commit traffic offences and when they are being challenge by a police officer they refuse
to cooperate and acknowledge that they are wrong and perhaps at the process of getting such
individual arrested he or she will bring out an internet enabled device to record the event and
then send it to social media platforms to gain the public sympathy and In turn make the public
see the police as a common enemy and threat. The implication of this is that a lot of hatred has
accumulated in the mind of the public and whenever police officers are discharging their duties,
they stand a chance of being violated and physically assaulted by the public. There are
publications on newspapers and social media regarding police officers that have sustained
grievous bodily harm, while some have lost their live in the cause of the performance of their
duties.
In recent time, a police sergeant, Collins Esiabor, was killed by an angry mob at the Ogba area of
Lagos. A statement by the police said the officer was performing his duty when he was lynched
by a mob that vandalized their patrol vehicle, stationed at College Road, Ifako Ijaiye, Ogba,
Lagos (PREMIUM TIMES, August 30 2018).
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Chike Oti disclosed that a police patrol team stationed at
a black spot at College Road, Ifako Ijaiye, Ogba, Lagos was attacked by an irate mob for a yet to
be determined reason(PM News August 26 2018).
An armed citizen was said to have gunned down seventeen police officers in Abuja, the incident
reportedly occurred at Galadimawa Junction, just off the international airport road (PREMIUM
TIMES, JULY3 2018).
According to police act section 39, ‘‘Every person who assaults, obstructs or resists any police
officer in the execution of his duty, or aids or incites any other person so to assault, obstruct or
resist any police officer or any person aiding or assisting such police officer in the execution of
his duty, shall be guilty of an offence and, on summary conviction thereof before a magistrate,
shall be liable to a penalty of fifty naira or to imprisonment for a term of six months’’.
Physical violence includes, but is not limited to:

Using physical force which results in pain, discomfort or injury;

Hitting, pinching, hair-pulling, arm-twisting, strangling, burning, stabbing, punching,
pushing, slapping, beating, shoving, kicking, choking, biting, force-feeding, or any other
rough treatment;

Assault with a weapon or other object;

Threats with a weapon or object;

Murder
2. Sexual abuse/harassment in work place
This is when you receive unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other
verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature sexual violence occurs when a person is forced to
unwillingly take part in sexual activity. Police officers should be immersed in an environment
that allows them to feel confident and capable of advancing their ambitions. Unfortunately,
unwelcome behavior in the workplace such as sexual harassment can be detrimental to a
worker’s ability to thrive, not to mention threaten their safety. Often, sexual harassment is not
corrected or punished because victims may feel intimidated or uncomfortable when confronting
their harasser. Victims of sexual harassment also often do not report the harassment for fear
that they may be retaliated against. When facing these difficult circumstances, police officers
should know how to recognize harassment and when to take action. A major problem is that
there are no provision in the police system that protect officers from sexual abuse in work place,
the fear of the unknown or aftermath of reporting the abuse has made a lot of officers to keep
mute and endure the abuse which could have psychological implications.
Sexual violence includes, but is not limited to:

Touching in a sexual manner without consent (i.e., kissing, grabbing, fondling);

Forced sexual intercourse;

Forcing a person to perform sexual acts that may be degrading or painful;

Beating sexual parts of the body;

Making unwelcome sexual comments or jokes; leering behavior;

comments about appearance, body or clothes

indecent remarks

Questions or comments about your sex life

Looking or staring at a person’s body

Display of sexually explicit material in shared workspaces or sending and sharing
sexually explicit material via email
3. Emotional Violence
Emotional violence occurs when someone says or does something to make a person feel stupid
or worthless. Emotional abuse is a type of abuse that often plays a role in many family law cases.
Basically, emotional abuse involves exposing a person to behavior or language that can result in
the psychological trauma for the witness. Emotional abuse can lead to anxiety, depression, and
other psychological symptoms that may result in physical manifestations. It is sometimes
referred to as psychological abuse or mental abuse, although these terms can have slightly
different connotations. Emotional abuse is often only one factor in a situation that is one-sided in
terms of power and influence. The emotional abuse may be accompanied by physical violence,
threats of violence, or sexual assaults. A cycle of abuse can exist over long periods of time,
resulting in emotional damage or psychological imbalance in the victim.
Emotional violence includes, but is not limited to:

Name calling

Blaming all relationship problems on the person;

Using silent treatment;

Not allowing the person to have contact with family and friends;

Destroying possessions;

Jealousy;

Humiliating or making fun of the person;

Intimidating the person; causing fear to gain control;

Threatening to hurt oneself if the person does not cooperate;

Threatening to abandon the person
4. Psychological abuse
Psychological abuse occurs when someone uses threats and causes fear in a person to gain
control. Although many scholars have used the word emotional and psychological abuse
interchangeably, but it’s important to know the difference, according to (o’hagan 2015)
Emotional abuse, involves exactly what it says: emotions. This involves how we feel, what we
feel, and the coping mechanisms we develop for both.
Psychological abuse on the other hand, however, has more effect mentally. That includes
development of cognitive function, and memory.
In other words (namely, mine), emotional abuse occurs when any caregiver terrorizes, neglects,
isolates, rejects, and/or verbally attacks without causing physical harm. Mental abuse occurs
when the caregiver’s actions prevent normal learning activities and cognitive development
Psychological violence includes, but is not limited to:

Threatening to harm the person or her or his family if she or he leaves;

Threatening to harm oneself;

Threats of violence;

Threats of abandonment;

Stalking / criminal harassment;

Destruction of personal property;

Verbal aggression

Not allowing a competent person to make decisions;

Inappropriately controlling the person’s activities;

Treating a person like a child or a servant;
Statement of problem
Security is the most fundamental need of human beings. There are several interrelated domains
of security – physical, emotional, social, economic and political. However, physical security –
protection from threat or act of violence by individuals, groups or the state is a precondition for
human existence and orderly society (UNDP Human Development Report 2000).
There is a lot of undermining problem such as police excessive force and brutality which pose as
a serious problem in Nigeria today. Police brutality is the use of excessive and unnecessary force
by police when dealing with civilians. Police brutality can be present in many ways. The most
common form of police brutality is a physical form. Police officers can use nerve gas, batons,
pepper spray, and guns in order to physically intimidate or even intentionally hurt civilians. Police
brutality can also take the form of false arrests, verbal abuse, psychological intimidation, sexual
abuse, police corruption, political repression and the improper use of Teasers. The problem of
Extortion by the Nigerian police undermines the fundamental human rights of Nigerians. The
police are alleged to frequently extort money from public at taxi stands, in market places, also from
people going about their daily lives. (www.vanguard.com/2017/08/corruption).
Unavailability of Psychological test for competency
Lack of psychological test for competency is one of the most important but least understood
aspects of pre-employment screening for police officers is the psychological exam.
It's estimated that more than 90% of law enforcement agencies in the United States require the
psychological screening of their applicants but reverse is the case in Nigeria. There are a lot of
demands placed upon police officers, everyday of a police officers live can be emotionally,
mentally, and physically taxing. There are days when they are forced to stand firm yet look polite
in the face of tremendous verbal abuse and other forms of abuse, and there will be times when
they are exposed to horrific scenes. The fact of the matter is, not everyone is cut out for a career
as a police officer. While it takes all kinds of personalities to make up an effective police force,
there are certain traits all officers should ideally share. Conversely, there are also certain traits
that are agreed to be undesirable in law enforcement officers. The psychological tests tend to
focus on identifying those undesirable traits more than looking for those desirable ones. Preemployment psychological screening evaluates a number of personality traits to help formulate
an opinion about whether or not a candidate would be a good hiring choice. According to Dr.
Gary Fischler, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota and a forensic
psychologist whose practice specializes in the evaluation of potential law enforcement officers,
those traits include:

impulse control

General intelligence

Judgment

Ability to perform boring or tedious tasks

Reasonable courage

Honesty

Integrity

Personal bias or lack of bias

Ability to tolerate stress

What motivated the candidate to choose law enforcement

Dependability

Ability to deal with supervision

Appropriate attitudes towards sexuality

Prior drug use
These particular traits represent areas that have been determined over time to be important areas
to explore when evaluating police officers candidates. Police officers are held to a high ethical
standard and thus the psychological exam serves as one more way to screen out candidates who
may demonstrate unacceptable or undesirable personality traits.
Lack of rehabilitation center
Another undermining problem is the lack of functional rehabilitation centers. Police have been
under intense scrutiny by the general public in the wake of an influx of civilian shooting deaths
in recent years. These fatal confrontations have led to substantial media attention and public
unrest.
Many officers perceive themselves as underappreciated. They hear criticism from citizens, read it
in newspapers or see it on the nightly news. This ridicule has contributed to stress. A report
published in The Journal of Law Enforcement found external factors, such as the attitude of the
general public, affect officers physically and emotionally.(William,2018) a social scientist,
wrote that many officers view their relationship with the general public as their most pressing
problem.“(A police officer) regards the public as his enemy, feels his occupational
(responsibilities) to be in conflict with the community and regards himself to be a pariah,”
William Westley wrote in a study of police behavior. Handling such criticism can be difficult.
Many officers find healthy ways to combat stress, such as running or lifting weights. Others turn
to drugs or alcohol. Alcohol consumption is common among police officers in Nigeria. They
consume alcohol to relax, socialize or alleviate a physical pain or traumatizing memory. This
often leads to alcoholism. Police officers consume alcohol at a rate double that of the general
population, according to a report by The Journal of Law Enforcement. In addition, 15 percent of
officers who attempted suicide had a history of alcohol abuse. However, the officers who are
victim of this circumstance still go about their daily service delivery, the implication of this is the
underpinning problems we have about the police act of indiscipline and the lack of rehabilitation
centers to help them.
The Aim and Purpose of the Research
Research is classified in terms of aim such as the basic research, applied research, action
research, development research, and team research (Fox and Bayat, 2007). The general aims of
research are observe and describe, predict, determination of the causes and explain
(Blakstad,2008).
The aim of this study is to examine the impact of abuse against police officers and their service
delivery in Nigeria.
The purpose of research is the process of correcting and refining hypothesis, which should lead
to the acceptance of certain scientific truths (Blakstad, 2008). Addition to that is to describe the
nature of the study object; to explain things the way they are; and to predict phenomena
(Welman et’al , 2001).
Objective of study
The objective under this study is as follows;

To investigate the prevalent form of abuse against police officers

To compare gender differences in abuse against police officers

To examine the consequences of abuse against police officers and their service delivery to
the public

To bring awareness to stakeholders on the concurrent abuse against police officers and
their service delivery to the public

to provide recommendations for the prevention and reduction of abuse against police
officers
Research questions

What are the most common form of abuse against police officers

What are the gender differences in abuse against police officers

What are the implication of abuse against police officers and their service delivery to the
public

Are stakeholders aware of the abuse against police officers and its service delivery to the
public

What are the policies available for the prevention and reduction of abuse against police
officers
Significant of the study
The study will provide awareness to all stakeholders about abuse against police officers and the
danger it pose on their service delivery to the general public. In addition to this, the study will
also provide recommendations on how to assist police officers who are victim of abuse. This
study will also provide a template on how people should be inducted into the police force in
other to prevent emotionally damaged people from joining the force. By doing so, the level of
police brutality and problem of excessive use of force can be reduced and prevented
Theoretical orientation
This paper will be exploring the following theories as a foundation for investigating the
consequences of abuse against police officers and their service delivery
Frustration aggression theory
The frustration aggression theory attempts to explain how and why some people, or groups of
people, become violent or aggressive during certain scenarios. The idea is that frustration, when
it cannot be displaced or relieved, turns into aggression. This aggression may then turn into
violence, resulting in the frustrated person lashing out. This lashing out may be directed at
another person or at an inanimate object. Aggression does not always develop into violence
because some people have discovered ways to prevent or control their aggression
Social Learning Theory
According to social learning theories (Bandura,et’al 1983)people acquire aggressive responses
the same way they acquire other complex forms of social behavior either by direct experience or
by observing others. Social learning theory explains the acquisition of aggressive behaviors, via
observational learning processes, and provides a useful set of concepts for understanding and
describing the beliefs and expectations that guide social behavior.
Script Theory
Huesman, 1998 proposed that when children observe violence in the mass media, they learn
aggressive scripts. Scripts define situations and guide behavior: The person first selects a script to
represent the situation and then assumes a role in the script. Once a script has been learned, it
may be retrieved at some later time and used as a guide for behavior. This approach can be seen
as a more specific and detailed account of social learning processes.
Exchange Theory
As with the general exchange theory, the key assumption of an exchange theory of family
violence is that human interaction is guided by the pursuit of rewards and the avoidance of
punishment and costs. Simply stated, individuals will use force and violence in their
relationships with intimates and family members if they believe that the rewards of force and
violence outweigh the costs of such behavior. A second assumption is that a person who supplies
reward services to another obliges the other to fulfill a reciprocal obligation; and thus, the second
individual must furnish benefits to the first (Blau 1964). He further explains that if reciprocal
exchange occurs, the interaction continues. However, if reciprocity is not received, the
interaction will be broken off. Of course, family relations, including partner relations, parent-
child relations, and sibling relations, are more complex and have a unique social structure
compared with the exchanges that typically exist outside of the family.
Research design and method
The study will employed survey research design. Its principal aim will be to determine the views
of police officers at state criminal investigation and intelligence department (SCIID) panti,
Lagos, on the extent, trends and patterns of abuse police officers suffers in the society.
SAMPLE SIZE
A sample of 100 police officers will be drawn, there are about over 200 police officers at SCIID .
SAMPLE AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE
Sampling technique has to do with how data on a research is collected. It is the drawing out of a
segment of a population as representation of the total population with the aim of drawing
conclusion from the available data. However, the simple random sampling technique will be
employed in this study. Thus, every member of the study population has an equal opportunity of
inclusion in the study.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
Research instruments refer to tools or materials used in collecting information from respondents.
For the purpose of this study, the questionnaire and oral interview will used. The questionnaire
will be design in such a way that the questions will be short, simple, Closed and opened-ended.
The questionnaire will contain a list of questions, which elicit Positive, negative and indifference
opinions from the respondents, which basically took the form of Yes, No or can‘t say options.
This will help in having a simple, easy-coding and data analysis.
Reference
BanduraA.1977.SocialLearningTheory.New York: Prentice Hall
Bandura A. 1983. Psychological mechanisms ofaggression.SeeGeen&Donnerstein1983, pp. 11–
40
Fox, W., and Bayat, M.S. 2007. A Guide to Managing Research. Cape Town: Juta.
Blakstad
O.
2008.
Research
Basics.
6
May,[Online]
Available
from:
<https://explorable.com/research-basics>.
Timothy, 2019.what to know about psychological screening for police officers(online) available
from:
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/psychological-exams-and-screening-for-police-
officers-974785
Vanguard, 2018. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/08/anti-corruption-key-smes-survival-cbi/
Federal Bureau of investigation. (2006). Violent encounters: A study of felonious assaults on our
nation’s law enforcement officers. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.