CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The vital and indispensable roles peace and security play in all facets of human development and existence, especially in our society incontrovertibly cannot either be swept under the carpet or dismissed with mere wave of hands. This is true because in any society, be it simple or complex, developed or developing and rural or urban, man in his state of nature is a wanting animal, and insatiable, who is always confronted with the problems of diverse interest and goals, at times insolvable, unless infringement upon other people’s right is employed (Peterson, 2005)

        According to Olumese S.O. (2005), citing Thomas Hobby’s history of an ordered social life, using the theory of ‘’ selfishness of man’’, man in his state of nature anything goes and the world was jungle in which self-interest was the only thing which kept each man from slitting his neighbours throat, and stealing his possessions. During that primitive society crime was neither frowned at, given much clarification. Government instrumentalities should be assessed periodically with regards to their function – performance (Igbinovia, 2002). First, the huge sums of public money expended on them capitally and recurrently, require some adequate accounting in terms of delivery services. Second, the important nature of the functions assigned them means that ineffectiveness in performance will have adverse or debilitating consequences on the system. Third, assessment has the significant value of measuring the efficiency with which functions are performed, the degree of fit between means employed and ends sought, and the lost benefits involves in identification of obstacles to effectiveness and efficiency and the suggestion of adequate and appropriate remedies (Igbinovia, 2002; Karimu, 2009).

The need for assessment is particularly crucial in a developing country like Nigeria where we have new but simultaneously burgeoning social problems whose nature, patterns, and management demand new strategies; where instrumentalities and personnel concerned with these problems are relatively new and inexperienced; where a myriad of needs competes for very scarce resources with myriad of problems and where there is no long standing concern for research and professional competence to guide policy (Karimu, 2009).

The Nigeria Police Force as it is known is the major organ that is saddled with responsibility of crime prevention and control in the country, but the burgeoning crime and the sophistication with which it is executed makes the functions of the Nigeria Police Force very cumbersome and arduous.

1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

What really instigated the study was the growth rate of organized crimes in Nigeria; the security system in Nigeria has overtime tends to be less effective in curbing major crimes; these lapses in usually found in the police department because of lack of improvement in various areas of security measures in the Nigeria police force.

The principle of policing describes how knowledge and understanding of criminal threats are used to drive law enforcement actions in response to threat of organized crime. There is need for overall improvement in the overall responses in the police department therefore; it will be very disastrous that as security professionals, there is a low knowledge of intelligence in dissolution of organized crimes in Nigeria.

Another issue in the Nigeria security unit was seen as lack of operational effort in the highest priority areas which as at today puts terrorism at the top within the Nigerian internal security space and in the global crime.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The main aim of the research is to examine the Nigeria police force and crime prevention in Nigeria: The River State experience. Other specific objectives of the study are:

1. to determine the role of the Nigeria police force in curbing contemporary crime in River State
2. to determine the relationship between the Nigeria police and growth rate of crime in River State
3. to determine the challenges faced by the Nigeria police force in corruption control and crime prevention in River State
4. to investigate on other factors affecting the performance of the Nigeria police force
5. to proffer solution to the above stated problems

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study came up with research questions so as to ascertain the above stated objectives of the study.  The research questions for the study are:

1. What are the roles of the Nigeria police force in curbing contemporary crime in River State?
2. What is the relationship between the Nigeria police and growth rate of crime in River State?
3. What are the challenges faced by the Nigeria police force in corruption control and crime prevention in River State?
4. What are the factors affecting the performance of the Nigeria police force?

1.5 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0: Nigeria police force has no significance effect on the rate of contemporary crime in River State

H1: Nigeria police force has significance effect on the rate of contemporary crime in River State

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study on the Nigeria police force and crime prevention in Nigeria: The River State experience will be of immense benefit to the entire police force in Nigeria, the government (local, state and federal) the People of River State and other researchers that desire to carry out similar research on the above topic as the findings of the study will educate the above population on crime in River State, the causes of crime, the role of the Nigeria police force in curbing contemporary crime in River State, the relationship between the Nigeria police and growth rate of crime in River State and the challenges faced by the Nigeria police force in corruption control and crime prevention in River State. Finally the study will contribute to the body of existing literature and knowledge in this field of study and provide a basis for further research

1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY

The study on the Nigeria police force and crime prevention in Nigeria: The River State experience will cover on crime in River State, the causes of crime, the role of the Nigeria police force in curbing contemporary crime in River State, the relationship between the Nigeria police and growth rate of crime in River State and the challenges faced by the Nigeria police force in corruption control and crime prevention in River State from 2007-2017

1.8 LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Contemporary Crimes: in accordance to the study are crimes that are happening at the same time. These crimes are planned and organized

Curbing: restrain or keep in check of crimes in Nigeria