Community policing and security management in Nigeria: A study of Abuja arterial routes and satellite settlements-Lugbe and Chika

Abstract

The pattern of policing in Nigeria is still at the abysmal stage as many still see the police as enemies while the police are still overtly caught on tape, daily abusing and infringing the rights of citizens and extorting them whether on traffic, in motor parks or at police stations. This study leveraged on structural functionalism theory to interrogate the nexus between community policing and security management in Nigeria. The study focused on the Abuja arterial routes and satellite settlements of Lugbe and Chika. Study employed survey research design through a structured five point Likert scale questionnaire to elicit responses from 400 respondents as guided by Taro Yamane sampling technique. The study analysis tool was the ordinary least squares simple linear regression technique. Finding from the study revealed that community policing has significant impact on security management in Nigeria. The Study concluded that Intelligence gathering and surveillance must be constantly undertaken, which is important in order to ensure that law enforcement agents are proactive and can reasonably predict potential insecurity threats with near perfect accuracy rather than being reactive. The study recommends that government must devote attention to security intelligence, capacity-building to meet the global best practice and acquisition of modern technology. This will be attainable when the culture of good governance that makes responsiveness and accountability to the community a norm, particularly by law enforcement agencies.