Effective Community Policing and Vigilante Neighborhood Watch: The Panacea to Insecurity and Sustainable Peace in Plateau State, Nigeria
- July 31, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: History, International Relations
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VIII, August 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
Oluwa Moses, O.1, Ojo, Oluwaseun, O.2*
1Department of History and International Relations, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
2Center for Conflict Management and Peace Studies, University of Jos, Nigeria
*Corresponding Author
Abstract:
The principal agency charged with the responsibility of internal peace and security of nations all over the world is the Police. In Nigeria today, the country is becoming more vulnerable to insecurity challenges due to several factors prominent among which are the inefficient and unprofessional policing system. Community policing could therefore be an option that can enhance the effectiveness of the Police Force for fostering internal security in Nigeria. There is a form of contention with the general public’s perception of the Nigeria Police as unfriendly, brutal, corrupt, unprofessional, and inefficient. A major problem is the public’s lack of trust of the police force, which is of importance to the community policing model and assists the community to sustain peace. This study, therefore, examined the state, challenges and prospects of the sustenance of peace in the communities on the Plateau and fostering internal security in Plateau state. The study covered the period 2010 to 2018, and is centred on the Plateau State Police Command. Data used in the study was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was sourced through questionnaire instrument and semi-structured interviews. The study revealed that armed robbery, stealing/theft, house/store burglary, car theft, murder, ethnic conflicts, religious conflicts, political conflicts and cultism are the prevalent internal security challenges in Plateau State
Keywords: Policing, Community Policing, Vigilante, Neighborhood Watch, Insecurity and Peace
I. INTRODUCTION
Insecurity in the form of ethnic, communal, and religious crisis is one of the biggest, most complex, and perhaps the most complicated problem facing Nigeria and most countries in the world, whether developed or developing countries. The upsurge in these forms of insecurity has left many countries in pains, suffering, and dismay, as it results in incalculable destruction of lives and properties. (Ukwayi & Okpa, 2017).
