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CORRUPTION IN POLICE REFORM INITIATIVES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Abstract

This study investigates how corruption systematically obstructs police reform efforts in Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, centering on key developments including the #EndSARS protests, implementation of the Police Act 2020, Community Policing schemes, and Police Trust Fund allocations during 2023–2025. Through documentary review, interviews with elites, and corruption perception surveys, the analysis reveals that institutionalized malfeasance, such as extortion during roadside stops, misappropriation of training budgets, and politically motivated personnel decisions, has reduced reform measures to superficial changes. Although policing expenditures reached ₦1.8 trillion after 2020, public confidence persists at under 25%, while reports of police violence rose by 31% from 2021 to 2024. The research demonstrates that meaningful institutional transformation cannot occur unless entrenched patronage systems linking police leadership and political elites are fundamentally disrupted.

1.1 Background of the Study

Nigeria operates one of Africa’s largest and most centrally controlled police forces, with approximately 370,000 personnel serving a population exceeding 220 million, resulting in a ratio of 1:600, which falls significantly below UN-recommended standards (CLEEN Foundation, 2023; Oluwaniyi, 2022). The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has historically been marked by systemic corruption, brutality, and political instrumentalization since the country’s independence (Human Rights Watch, 2021; Owen, 2023). Various reform initiatives have been undertaken, such as the 2008 Presidential Committee on Police Reform, the 2012 Parliamentary hearings, the 2018 Police Reform Panel, and the enactment of the Police Act 2020, which established the Police Trust Fund. Additionally, the Community Policing initiative was introduced in 2019 (Aleyomi & Iseolorunkanmi, 2023; Ojo, 2024). The #EndSARS protests in October 2020 highlighted widespread public demand for systemic change, ultimately leading to the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and commitments to comprehensive reform (Amnesty International, 2021). Despite these efforts, research indicates that corruption remains the most significant impediment to progress. Officers frequently extort bribes at roadblocks, generating an estimated ₦100 to 150 billion annually, while senior officials reportedly misappropriate recruitment slots, training funds, and procurement budgets (Page & Okeke, 2022; Agbiboa, 2023). The Police Trust Fund, intended to enhance welfare and logistics, allocated over ₦170 billion between 2020 and 2024; however, audits uncovered substantial financial losses due to inflated contracts and fraudulent payroll entries (BudgIT, 2024; Ojo, 2024). This contradiction, where increased funding coexists with entrenched misconduct, demonstrates how corruption undermines reform efforts.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite repeated reform efforts and significant financial investments, police corruption and brutality in Nigeria have not diminished, with numerous indicators suggesting deterioration. National surveys consistently identify the Nigeria Police Force as one of the most corrupt institutions (Afrobarometer, 2024; Transparency International, 2024). Practices such as roadblock extortion, arbitrary arrests for bail, and politically motivated officer deployments persist without restraint (Human Rights Watch, 2021; Owen, 2023).

The Police Act 2020 and Community Policing framework aimed to decentralize authority, strengthen accountability, and improve officer welfare. However, their implementation has been undermined by the very corrupt networks they intended to dismantle. Reports indicate that senior officers sell lucrative postings, misappropriate training funds, and protect subordinates engaged in extortion (Page & Okeke, 2022; Aleyomi & Iseolorunkanmi, 2023). As a result, public trust in law enforcement remains critically low, with approval ratings below 25% in 2024, while violent crime rates have escalated in multiple states (Ojo, 2024). The lack of comprehensive research examining how corruption systematically obstructs specific reform measures perpetuates a cycle of ineffective policy responses.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective is to analyse how corruption undermines police reform initiatives in Nigeria between 2015 and 2025.

Specific objectives are:

1. To examine the major police reform programmes implemented in Nigeria since the #EndSARS protests of 2020.
2. To identify specific mechanisms through which corruption captures and neutralises these reforms (e.g., fund diversion, political interference, extortion networks).
3. To assess the impact of persistent corruption on police legitimacy, public safety, and human rights.
4. To propose anti-corruption safeguards that can make future police reforms more resilient.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What are the key police reform initiatives introduced in Nigeria from 2015 to 2025?
2. Through which institutional and behavioural channels does corruption frustrate these reforms?
3. What have been the consequences for police effectiveness and public trust?
4. What structural and oversight reforms could insulate future initiatives from corrupt capture?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This research conducts a political-economy analysis of persistent police reform failures in Nigeria, shifting focus from legal frameworks to reveal underlying rent-seeking mechanisms (Agbiboa, 2023; Owen, 2023). It presents empirically grounded policy proposals for the Police Service Commission, Ministry of Police Affairs, and civil society organizations to disrupt entrenched patronage systems (Aleyomi & Iseolorunkanmi, 2023). The study provides critical analysis for international donors investing in security sector reform, explaining the limited impact of substantial financial assistance (Page & Okeke, 2022). The theoretical contribution advances comparative scholarship on corruption and state formation through its examination of “reform capture” within Nigeria’s neo-patrimonial governance structure (Human Rights Watch, 2021; Ojo, 2024).

1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study examines national-level police reform policies and their implementation from 2015 to 2025, with empirical attention given to Lagos, Abuja, and certain northern states. Military and paramilitary forces fall outside the scope of this research. Key limitations involve constrained access to internal police financial documentation, possible apprehensions among interview participants, and the dynamic political landscape extending past 2025.

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms

• Police Reform Initiatives: Policy, legal, and institutional changes aimed at improving accountability, welfare, and performance of the Nigeria Police Force.
• Corruption Capture: The process by which corrupt networks within and outside the police neutralise reform measures for private gain.
• Extortion Networks: Organised systems of illegal revenue collection by police personnel, especially at roadblocks.
• Police Legitimacy: Public perception of the police as fair, effective, and deserving of obedience.
• Reform Sabotage: Deliberate actions that hollow out reform objectives while maintaining their formal appearance.

References

Afrobarometer. (2024). Round 9 survey: Nigeria summary of results. Afrobarometer.

Agbiboa, D. E. (2023). Police corruption and reform in Nigeria: A political economy perspective. Third World Quarterly, 44(6), 1321–1339. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2023.2189456

Aleyomi, M. B., & Iseolorunkanmi, O. J. (2023). Police reform in Nigeria: Issues, challenges and prospects. African Journal of Governance and Development, 12(1), 45–62.

Amnesty International. (2021). Nigeria: Time to end impunity — The #EndSARS protests and human rights violations by SARS. Amnesty International.

BudgIT. (2024). Tracking the Nigeria Police Trust Fund: 2020–2023 expenditure analysis. BudgIT Foundation.

Human Rights Watch. (2021). “They don’t care if we live or die”: Police brutality in Nigeria. Human Rights Watch.

Ojo, E. O. (2024). The Police Act 2020 and the crisis of police reform in Nigeria. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 59(3), 712–728. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096231156789

Owen, O. (2023). Policing after #EndSARS: Reform, resistance and re-entrenchment in Nigeria. African Affairs, 122(486), 123–142. https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adac067

Page, M. T., & Okeke, C. (2022). Corruption risks in Nigeria’s security sector reform. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Transparency International. (2024). Corruption Perceptions Index 2023. Transparency International.