THE PUBLIC PERCEPTIVE OF NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE
(A CASE STUDY OF IDAH, KOGI STATE)
    ABSTRACT
This study titled “Public Perceptive of the Nigeria Police Forcewith a Case Study of Idah, Kogi State. The objective is to investigate the public perception on the Nigeria police force. Two sources of data required for this research, the primary data used in this project involved responses from the questionnaires administered and personal interview. Others were secondary data which are already existed data that is, literature text, internet desk research, journals e.t.c. The data collected were analyzed using simple percentage method. Form the analysis, it was discovered that the police in idah have a bad image. This is as a result of police operations thay are accused of collecting bribes, indiscriminate arresting and detection of the member of the public, it is also discovered that the public are highly aware of the existence and the constitutional duties of the police forces of crimes control and maintenance of law and orders and as well as the protection of lives and properties. Furthermore, the study revealed what the police do not perform up to to expectation of the public inidah. Hence, the researcher recommends that the public on their side should take the police as a constituted authority which is created to help in controlling crimes and protecting both lives and property in society. The public should therefore interact with the police and should not leave the government alone with the task of providing facilities such as housing, vehicles to the police. Companies. Voluntary organization should assist the police in the areas they can afford.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study     -    -    -    -    
1.2 Statement of Problems     -    -    -    -    
1.3 Research Questions         -    -    -    -
1.4 Objective of the Study     -    -    -    -
1.5 Significance of the study     -    -    -    -
1.6 Scope and Limitation of the study     -    -
1.7 Definition of key terms     -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER  TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction     -    -    -    -    -
2.2 The  concept of the study     -    -    -    -
2.3 Nature of leadership     -    -    -    -    -    
2.4 Characteristics of a good leadership     -
2.5 Leadership Roles     -    -    -    -    -    -
2.6 Leadership Theories     -    -    -    -    -    -
2.7 Factors influencing leadership effectiveness     
2.8Leadership Constraints    -    -    -    -    
2.9Leadership styles    -    -    -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction     -    -    -    -    -    -    -
3.2 Research Design     -    -    -    -    -    -
3.3 Area of the study     -    -    -    -    -    
3.4 Sources of data collection     -    -    -    -    
3.5 Method of data collection     -    -    -    -    -
3.6 Population of the study     -    -    -
3.7 Sample and sampling size     -    -    -    -    
3.8 Validation of the instrument     -    -    -    
3.9  Method of data analysis       -    -    -    -    
3.10 Overview of Sumal Foods Nigeria Plc    -    
CHAPTER FOUR:DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction     -    -    -    -    -    -    
4.2 Data Presentation and analysis     -    -    -
4.3 Data Analysis     -    -    -    -    -    -    
4.4 Discussion of Findings -    -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND     RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary             -    -    -    -    -
5.2 Conclusion     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    
5.3 Recommendations     -    -    -    -    -    
Bibliography
Appendix
Questionnaire
CHAPTER ONE
1.0                INTRODUCTION
    The Nigeria police force is designated by section 194 of 1979 constitution as the national police of Nigeria with exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country.
    The Nigeria police today are fixed with the crisis of legitimacy. Two overrading problems are evident. One is the significance increase in crime violence and insurgency. The others is the growing distrust for the police by the public.
    It is generally held by the member of the public that the Nigeria police force is corrupt and inefficiency, incompetence brutal and inherently lazy.
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
    The social contract of John Locke, Jean Rousseau and other that rationalized the creation of society and the state has been severely analyzed (Short 1986). Analyst argued the citizen consented to be ruled by the state in return for a guaranteed security, Justices and well-being of all (Ask, 2005, 1969 Collier, 2003).
    The existence of this imaginary contract has thus form the government, it equally accounts for the establishment of the criminal justice system charged with maintenance of law and order (Nwankwo 1981).
    At the inauguration of the Nigeria police force (NPF) on 1st April 1930, their statutory function include the detection and prevention of crime, apprehension and prosecution of criminal, protection and prevention of crime, apprehension and prosecution of criminal, protection of lives and property of the  citizen, enforcement and maintenance of law and order (Nwankwo 1981) while other function ,  including that ensuring the free flow of traffic especially in the cities (Okonkwo 1996) and participating in peace keeping operation within and outside Nigeria (Police Act 1990) (AP 33589, 5.4) were later added and combine to make the police the most visible symbol of the law in Nigeria.
    Successful crime detection, prevention and control, justice and safety are important for two reasons. It allow for the prosecution and punishment of offenders and defers potential criminals from floating the (Ask 2006). However, in Idah metropolis in particular and Nigeria generally, crime has become an inadequate fact of life. Citizen prepare daily forward off criminals. This preparation is demonstrated in all fences around home’s, security lock, burglary, security gate and formation of vigilante group, Neighborhood crime watcher (NCW) and the employment and day and night watchman (Ikoh and Joeph 2010).
    Despite these, crime rate in the country and in Idah in particular remained unacceptable high. The constitutional function of the police to detect prevent, prevent and crime in the country in general and Idah in particular has become a subject of intense debate. The existence of a high crime rate appears to weight heavily against proponent of the debate. The purpose of this study is to situate this debate within a context that can provide empirical evidence of policing role in Idah. It intend to gain knowledge of the resident perception on the operation of the Nigeria police in Idah in crime prevention and control.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The Nigeria police force has duly of protecting the live and property of every Nigeria. In fact, any nation or society without an effective police organization is bound to be chaotic in character; such a society can be compared only to Hobbesian state nature where life was nasty, brutish and short or such place can be called, using Emile Durk Hein world an anomic society. The police are guardian of socials order as an institution. The force is expected to pressive, fortify and reproduce the prevailing social order (Alemika 1993). However, the Nigeria police force has been largely infective and inefficient in the performance of their  duties, and this has however been largely attributed to lack of finance and inadequate equipment, insuffient manpower and training, lack of enough vehicle, and illiteracy among member of poor communication gadgets, out detail weapons, and poor relationship with the public in term to carrying out their duties of crime prevention and control in the society (Ikogno 2007).
    Although the police are supposed to be recognized by the people as friend and protectors, they are not generally regarded as such, instead the public stimatize the police work because they believe it is associated with evil. Some each believe that the police collaborate with the men of the under world to create disorder in the society.
    This is however created distrust between member of the public and the police. Against this background, many scholar believe that the police can not ensure justice in their dealing, with public (Nuhu, 1989:39) in term of equal enforcement  of law. It is against the background that this study is carried out to examine the relationship between the Nigeria police force and member of the public of Idah.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
    As a matter of fact, every study has its own, arms. This research study is carried to investigate the public perception on the Nigeria police force.
Below are of the basic Objectives of this study:
To identify the native of relationship between Nigeria police force  and the member of  the public in Idah.
To investigate the views of the member of the public toward the Nigeria police force.
To investigate the reason why the public perceive the Nigeria police the way they perceive.
To Identify ways of improving police performance in Idah metropolis.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
    Sociological research is conducted for two main purpose, firstly to provide solution to a particular social problem and secondly, to provide knowledge on the existing problems.
    This research work will not deviate from these two purpose. The researcher is interested in conducting this research in order to proffer solution to the problem of the negative that the people show towards the Nigeria police force with particular reference to divisional Headquarters Idah Local government Area of Kogi state. It is aimed at bringing the glory to the Nigeria police force as an importance proffesion.
    The research will help to encourage parent allow their children to join the Nigeria police force. The research work will help to persuade public to develop positive feelings toward the police in Nigeria.
    The research work will encourage the governmental and Non-governmental organization in proffering solution to the problem that affect Nigeria police force.
1.5 SCOPE/LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
    The research work is to focus considerable attention on divisional police Headquarter Idah local government Area of kogistate and not the whole of Kogi state. And this covered from the period 2009 2014.
    This research work encountered problem originally from lack of time and financial constraints as well as lack of material. This problem will inhibit its from arriving at a proper conclusion but it is hoped that it will be spring board for further research work.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS.
    In the course of carrying out the research, the following research question were raised:
What is the nature of relationship between the police and numbers of the public of Idah.
What factors is responsible for such relationship?
How does members of the public perceive the police force in Idah in term of crime prevention and control?
1.7 Definition of key words
Attitude: This refer to the way one behave about particular phenomenon or a person’s feelings about something. Attitude are evaluative statement either favourable or unfavourable concerning certain objective people or event. They reflect how one feels about someone or something we may form attitude about so many things and these attitude influence our thought, attitude  is a combination of effective behavioral and congnitive reaction to an object or person that corresponds respectively to one evaluation of knowledge and predisposition to act towards the object of the attitude. Zumbordo and Ebberson (1990), Explain the component of attitude. According to them, the effective component consist of a person evaluation of liking of an emotional response to an object or a person. The cognitive component consist of belief of factual knowledge of the object or person.