Dr.Etuka C.Obinwa - My Blog

The problem of corruption has really gone beyond control in Nigeria, Everyday there are several cases of grand, bureaucratic and petty corruption. Yet, the Federal, State and local governments have failed to fight corruption.

Knowing the impact of corruption generally, do you think that the youths/civil society have any part to play in reducing corruption in Nigeria? Your comments and contributions will help the Movement Against Corruption in Nigeria (MACIA).

Dr.Etuka Obinwa

Security is another grave problem in Nigeria after corruption. Securing the country has to do a lot with the type of officials in government. The insecurity of lives and properties in Nigeria is an age long problem. And this stems from the fact that the system is very corrupt in its entirety to give priority to internal security. To be able to set up the mechanism to tackle this issue of insecurity of lives and properties such as armed robbery, assassination, kidnapping and other violent crimes prevalent in the Nigerian society, the federal, state and local governments must be proactive, block all the leaking holes pertaining to utilisation of funds meant for projects, be very efficient and make use of lots of intelligence/security information, and compensate those who give valuable information. The world now talks security, not only securing its citizens but also securing its borders.

For example, in the developed countries everyone sees himself or herself as being part of the entire apparatus for ensuring good security. But in Nigeria the case is utterly different because it is those who give intelligence information that suffer the wrath of the law. In most developed countries, cases of people who gave intelligence/security information abound, and usually the government compensates them adequately, as a sort of incentive. But in Nigeria informants are mal-treated, this is the reason why a majority of people hoard vital information which would have helped in dire situations. Most people are afraid to come forward with security/ intelligence information because they do not want to be accused falsely and detained.

As a matter of fact, this does not in any way build confidence within the informants. Since there is no adequate protection for them, most security issues are left for the corrupt operatives to handle. It is not only the general security of lives and properties of Nigerians that is questionable,but the porous borders too. Borders are not secured both in the Northern and Southern parts of the country. Terrorists could slip into the country, especially from the North. All these pose a grave concern not only to the Nigeria government but to the entire world security.


Dr Etuka C Obinwa

Who provides internal security in Nigeria? The NPF are responsible for the internal security of the Nigerian citizens (Onyeozili, 2005). The provision of internal security by the NPF covers the citizen’s lives and properties in accordance with the Police Act (Cap 359 section 4) laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (see section 1.4), but due to corruption in the NPF and judiciary, both have reneged in the powers and responsibilities granted them to protect the citizens (Hills, 2002; Human Rights Watch, 2007).

The O’odua Progressive Congress (OPC) was initially created to advocate for autonomy for the Yoruba people, then it extended its activities to fighting criminals which was a problem in the western parts of Nigeria (Harnischfeger, 2003). Also, in some parts of the northern Nigeria, there are other groups referred to as vigilantes who are used to monitor and enforce the observance of Sharia (CLEEN, 2002).

The Bakassi Boys have been adopted by the three Eastern State governments as crime fighting forces, funded and officially recognised under the law passed by the states’ parliaments (BBC News, 2002; Onyeozili, 2005). It is important to note that these vigilantes work independently from the NPF (CLEEN, 2002).

The many faces of corruption perpetrated by a majority of the Nigeria Police have disengaged them completely from their main focus of protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians, dispensation of law and maintainace of order.

Dr. Etuka C. Obinwa

Nigerians are living in a country where corruption has become a very normal part of the carrying out formal and informal transactions (Osoba, 1996; Nwankwo, 1999). This type of climate in itself is essential for analysis because there is a continuous interaction between the willingness of people to pay bribes and the willingness of officials to receive them (McMullan, 1961). Brownberger (1983) opined that people often behave in a way the people they associate or live with behave. For instance, according to Offiong (1984, p. 72):

“This definitely accounts for the scramble to simply ’take’ whatever belongs to government. Anything that belongs to government is everybody’s property and whoever gets to it first can ‘take’ it. This seems to be the attitude of Nigerians toward public property.”

According to Oligbo of Foxtoxs Security Limited (Daily Sun, December, 26 2009):

"there is nothing like Democracy in Nigeria. What we have is a corrupt selection process based on who are your chums and pals, the proceeds and benefits of corruption while in office has made it impossible to have any kind of democracy in Nigeria. I am really sad that it is like that in the country that I love".

The Nigerian politicians are known to be corrupt (Ndubisi, 1993). According to Akani (2001), they usually use money to purchase votes, win elections, and get on seat to start stealing from the government (Akani, 2001). Dike (2003)also confirm that when they get to any position of power and authority, they often want to recoup the amount they spent in buying votes and winning elections through unchecked stealing without an iota of conscience. The system has made it that corruption is enticing and attractive, and this has to do with the mindset of an average Nigerian towards every public or private office (Onyekakeyah, 2006).

There is this internal urge or desire to get the slightest opportunity to cheat or steal (Obinwa, 2006). The actions of high officials in government are exacerbated by the immunity clause enshrined in the Nigerian constitution which makes it impossible to prosecute them in court of law while in office (La Franiere, 2005; Aiyetan, 2007; obinwa, 2006, 2007). This was the main reason why many governors looted their state treasuries and left unfathomable amount of billions in debt for the newly elected governors.

In last 2006 and early 2007, the President and Vice President were both accused of corruption but because of the immunity clause, both men have left their position of power but, they are yet to be brought to book.This is because there is no apparatus put in place to bring corrupters or corruptees to book. According to Agedah (1993), it only in Nigeria that those who are found guilty of corruption still find places in the government. This is the reason why in spite of the lukeworm efforts made by Obasanjo’s administration to fight corruption, corruption has become one of the biggest problems to solve apart from the depressing economy (Nwankwo, 1999). The problem of the economy is totally linked to lack of good governance, transpareny and accountability.

A classic example is how the Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Local Government Chairmen, Directors just to name these few, have used the climate of corruption which is conducive for them and the immunity clause to empty their respective state treasuries.

Ndubisi (1993) points out that there is a strong belief in Nigeria that public funds and government property are ‘national cake, therefore people can steal them with impunity without an iota of conscience. This has encouraged those in government and private services, particularly the governors, law makers, bankers, civilservants, police, etc, to steal public funds with alacrity(Corey, 2004 and Obinwa, 2006; 2007).

Onyeozili (2005) argues that corruption has permeated through the rank and file, from the police boss who steals billions of naira to the lower ranks who mounts illegal road block and checkpoints to collect N20 notes from motorists and manipulate criminal cases to the arrest and killing of innocent citizens because of not paying bribes, have constituted a menace nationally. Corruption is not new in the police force. It cuts across many countries. Since it is a global phenomenon, it is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. However, corruption involving bribery, extortion and embezzlement are widespread and endemic in Nigeria Police Force, and these have tainted their image (CLEEN, 2005; Imnakoya, 2005). Also, confirming this, Alamika and Chukwuma (2005) notes that while corruption is endemic and prevalent in all segments of the Nigerian society, it is particularly objectionable among the police because it is their occupational responsibility to prevent and work at reducing or curbing it. In another vein,
Alemika (1999, p. 10) points out that:

“Police corruption elicits serious concern for three significant reasons. First, the police are expected to be moral as well as law enforcement agents. If the police which are employed to prevent and detect corruption, and bring culprits to judgment are themselves stinkingly corrupt, the society’s crusade against corruption is guaranteed to fail. Second, the police exercise powers that have profound implications for the life, property, safety and freedoms of citizens. Where the exercise of such powers is contaminated by corrupt motives, the citizens feel exceedingly vulnerable, insecure and powerless. Third, police corruption is often tantamount to extortion, a form of robbery or demand with force. These dimensions of police corruption explain why the police are threatened by such practices. The most significant source of negative police-community relations is corruption. Corrupt motive is also a source of police brutality. In many circumstances, police brutality is a means of coercing individuals to succumb to demands for bribes, and sometimes, it is a punishment for not cooperating with the police in their demand for gratification.”

Consequently, corruption in the NPF has towered all measures to checkmate it. According to the Human Rights Watch (2005), for decades, the NPF have betrayed their responsibility to protect Nigerian citizens, instead it has preyed on them for economic gain. In fact, the relationship between the citizens and the police is often marred by brutality, confrontation and exploitation (CLEEN, 2003). Corruption by the Nigeria is not only perpetrated at the roadblocks or checkpoints on the highways, NPF corruption spans not only from extortion, embezzlement, involvement in crimes, manipulation of criminal and civil cases, election rigging and violation of human rights (Onyeozili, 2005). The rate of bribery and corruption in the NPF is increasing based on the findings of IAP, ICPC and TI. At the low level of the NPF, routine extortion of N20 and planting of evidence and manipulation of cases are abound whereas at the higher levels of the police, there exist direct embezzlement, siphoning of funds and disappearing of criminal case files (Alemika and Chukwuma, 2000).

Imnakoya (2005) points out that rampant corruption found at the low level of the NPF is linked to corruption at the higher level. A classic example is the connivance of the senior police personnel with the lower police personnel posted to illegal road blocks in sharing proceeds realised, at the same time, stealing millions of naira meant for police salaries and pensions (Akinsuyi, 2007). Amas (2006; p. 1) confirms the corruption in the NPF that:

The several road blocks on Nigerian major streets are of little use as the police are only there to enrich themselves and their bosses who post them there to get the returns for such lucrative postings.”

Also, three police bosses were compulsorily forced to resign their appointments because they stole millions of naira meant for the police (Business Day, 19 January, 2005