A new study has found that corruption and unprofessional conduct within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) are directly weakening the public's willingness to share crime-related intelligence with officers, raising fresh concerns about the country's fight against insecurity. The research, authored by James Adakole Ojo and published in IRE Journals, drew on responses from 256 Nigerians to examine how trust and public perception of the police shape intelligence-sharing behaviour across the country. The research findings were shared with Legit.ng on Sunday, August 30.
Study Reveals Deep Distrust of Police
The data painted a bleak picture of how Nigerians view the force. Some 84.8% of those surveyed said corruption and misconduct had reduced their confidence in the NPF, while 85.2% said they do not believe the force treats citizens fairly or without bias. A further 67.6% said officers in their areas behave unprofessionally when dealing with the public.
Low trust extended beyond misconduct concerns. About 62.9% of respondents said they do not trust the NPF to protect lives and property in their communities, and 72.7% said they lack confidence in the force's ability to respond to security threats when they arise. Crucially, the study found that these attitudes are shaped largely by direct personal experience rather than second-hand accounts.
Distrust Threatens Police Intelligence Sharing
Despite the distrust, a significant number of respondents said they were still open to working with the police. Some 74.6% said they would report suspicious activities, and 84.4% said they would share useful security information to help prevent crime. However, the study established that this openness is tied closely to trust levels, with 52% saying their readiness to cooperate depends on how much they trust the force and 88.7% saying that trust improvement would make them more willing to engage.
Fear remained a major obstacle. Some 68.4% of respondents said they do not feel safe sharing intelligence with police due to concerns about intimidation or victimisation, and only 35.2% said they trust officers to handle their information confidentially. The researcher linked these findings to the Institutional Trust Theory, which holds that people's willingness to cooperate with an institution depends on how much they trust it.
Research Calls for Police Trust-Building
To reverse the trend, the study recommended that the NPF step up internal discipline, introduce regular training on community engagement, and hold interactive sessions to address public grievances. It also called for formal confidentiality protections to reassure citizens who want to assist but fear the consequences.
The researcher stressed the urgency of the findings, concluding: "At a critical time in the country's history, Nigerians need the police to dismantle rising criminal networks that have made many of them feel largely unsafe on the road and in their homes. Without public goodwill, however, this will be a tall order for the Nigeria Police Force to achieve."
The police must therefore dissipate more efforts and resources to build trust and address negative perceptions of the force through professionalism and improved efficiency in the discharge of its constitutional duties.
Broader Research Context
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR) published a study by Ojo. The research, which comparatively examines online advocacy for good governance and actual political participation among Nigerian youths, was published by IJSSAR, a multidisciplinary, open-access academic journal of Ebonyi State University.
In the study, Ojo investigated the extent of offline political engagement among Nigerian youths who actively advocate for good governance online, as well as the factors discouraging their participation. One key finding revealed that many Nigerian youths are unfamiliar with their elected representatives at the local government and National Assembly levels.
