THE DILEMMA OF HUMAN SECURITY AND SYSTEMIC BRUTALITY BY THE NIGERIAN POLICE IN METROPOLITAN BENIN.
Abstract
The media is replete and awash with reports of unlawful killings and torture of suspects/accused persons in police custody across the country and it would appear that the end is not in sight. This study therefore sought to investigate the dilemma of systemic police brutality and what it portends for human security. The study anchored its theoretical basis on Tyler’s (2003) procedural justice theory. A cross sessional research design which employed both quantitative and qualitative techniques was used to gather data from850 respondents from the 12 wards that make up metropolitan Benin. Findings from the study reveal that police brutality exists and that the educational level of the policemen, the need to extract information by all means and greed were some factors that accounted for police brutality and torture of civilians in their custody. Based on the findings of the study, it is suggested that the police should be retrained to appreciate and apply the rule of law in their treatment of those in their custody while senior police officers should be alive to their responsibilities vis – a- vis checking and curbing the excesses of its overzealous men.
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