ABSTRACT
With a population of over 150 million in Nigeria, the need for an e€ective, lawful, and people-oriented police organization cannot be overemphasized. In Nigeria, the development of the police force was the brainchild of the British colonial masters. During the British colonial expansion in Nigeria, the need to prevent squabbles between the native chiefs and the imperial merchants was among the reasons for the formation of the police force. Consequently, the police grew up as a paramilitary force bearing arms from its inception. rough this measure, the British colonial masters used the native police to harass, intimidate, and oppress those who opposed the British colonial expansion. is colonial legacy continues, and to date, the police still carry the militaristic bandwagon e€ect of colonialism in its relationship with the public. ere exist negative apprehension, distrust, and disgust on the part of the public and their relationship to the police. Aƒrming this, Aremu (2002) notes that no good relationship exists between the public and the police. In the same vein, Alemika and Chukwuma (2000) report that the police-citizen relationship in Nigeria is characterized by deep suspicion and violence. Tamuno (1970) alludes to this by tracing this longheld public-police disdain to the seed of bitterness that was sown during the British colonial rule in Nigeria.
