NCJ Number
226662
Journal
International Journal of Police Science and Management Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2009 Pages: 20-26
Date Published
2009
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study examined the experiences of adults who had been interrogated for a criminal offense in two communities in Osun State (Southwestern Nigeria).
Abstract
Victimization remains an impediment to achieving justice and a crime-free society. The developing trend for community policing may not yield the associated benefits if the criminal investigation process and crime control are not urgently revised in Nigeria. In addition to cleaning up the image of the police and creating an awareness campaign that the police are the friends of the people, bodies of governance, such as the Police Service Commission and the National Human Rights Commission, should be set up to investigate police abuses and should be financed by the government. The two communities reviewed, together with other stakeholders and international donors, might encourage police reform by making further financial, equipment, and training assistance conditioned on measurable improvements in police conduct and practice. Data were collected from 35 subjects of criminal investigations and 15 experienced crime investigating police officers in Ile-Ife and Modakeke-Ife communities; these two neighboring communities have had communal clashes for sociopolitical and economic reasons several times between 1983 and 2001. 5 references and 1 table