The widespread mistrust between the Nigerian police and the public is a deeply entrenched issue with roots in the country's history, institutional failings, and everyday experiences.

This lack of trust significantly hinders effective policing and contributes to a cycle of insecurity.

Here are the primary reasons for this pervasive mistrust:

1. Historical Legacy of Oppression and Colonial Policing:

   • Instrument of Control: The Nigerian police force, like many colonial police forces, was established by the British primarily as an instrument to enforce colonial rule, suppress dissent, and protect colonial interests, not to serve or protect the indigenous population. They were seen as an oppressive force.

   • Lack of Accountability: The colonial police were accountable to the colonizers, not the colonized people. This established a culture of impunity and arbitrary use of power that largely persisted after independence.

   • Post-Colonial Continuity: After independence in 1960, successive Nigerian governments (both civilian and military) did not fundamentally restructure this repressive police-public relationship. Instead, they often continued to use the police as a tool for political repression, social control, and self-enrichment, solidifying the perception of the police as an enemy rather than a protector.

2. Pervasive Corruption and Extortion:

   • Institutionalized Bribery: Corruption is arguably the most significant driver of public mistrust. Nigerians routinely encounter demands for bribes for basic police services, such as investigating a crime, taking a report, releasing an arrested person, or even for simple traffic checks.

   • Roadblocks as Extortion Points: Police roadblocks, though ostensibly for security, are widely perceived as points for extorting money from motorists and commuters. This daily experience of being shaken down by law enforcement severely erodes trust.

   • "Bail is Free, but...": Despite official pronouncements, suspects are often forced to pay for bail, which is legally free, or face prolonged detention and intimidation.

   • Conflation with Criminality: The public often views corrupt officers as being indistinguishable from criminals, sometimes even colluding with criminals.

3. Widespread Police Brutality and Human Rights Abuses:

   • Excessive Force: There are rampant reports and personal experiences of police using excessive force, torture, and extrajudicial killings against suspected criminals, protesters, and even innocent citizens. The #EndSARS protests of October 2020, sparked by widespread outrage over the abuses of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), brought this issue to international attention.

   • Arbitrary Arrests and Detention: Police frequently engage in arbitrary arrests, often based on appearance (e.g., young people with dreadlocks or tattoos being profiled as "Yahoo Boys" or criminals), and detain individuals unlawfully without charge.

   • Lack of Accountability for Abuses: Despite numerous inquiries and pledges for reform, there is a persistent lack of accountability for officers who commit abuses. Cases often drag on, or perpetrators are simply reassigned rather than prosecuted and punished, reinforcing a culture of impunity.

4. Poor Service Delivery and Inefficiency:

   • Lack of Response: Citizens often find the police unresponsive to distress calls or reports of crime, particularly if no financial incentive is offered.

   • Weak Investigative Capacity: The police force is often seen as lacking the skills, resources, and dedication for thorough criminal investigations, leading to low crime solution rates.

   • Inadequate Equipment and Funding: While corruption plays a major role, the police force is also genuinely underfunded, poorly equipped, and its personnel are often poorly paid, leading to a vicious cycle where officers may resort to corrupt practices out of necessity or frustration.

5. Lack of Professionalism and Training:

   • Many officers are perceived as lacking adequate training in modern policing techniques, community engagement, human rights, and de-escalation methods. This contributes to their reliance on crude, often brutal, methods.

   • Low educational standards among recruits and a culture of training that emphasizes coercion over service further exacerbate this problem.

6. Politicization of the Police Force:

   • The centralized nature of the Nigerian Police Force means it is largely controlled by the federal government and can be susceptible to political manipulation, especially during elections or in suppressing political dissent. This perception undermines its neutrality.

7. Socio-Cultural Factors:

   • Culture of Silence/Fear: Many Nigerians are reluctant to report police misconduct due to fear of retaliation, intimidation, or the belief that nothing will change.

   • Generational Mistrust: The negative experiences with the police are often passed down through generations, creating a deeply ingrained collective mistrust.

In essence, the mistrust stems from a fundamental disconnect: the public views the police as a predatory force that extorts, brutalizes, and often fails to protect them, rather than a service-oriented institution upholding the law. Rebuilding this trust requires comprehensive, sustained, and genuine reforms that address corruption, ensure accountability for abuses, professionalize the force, and fundamentally shift its operational philosophy from coercion to community service.