Chapter One
Chapter One
INTRODUCTION
Nigeria is one of the African countries with huge population size, high population density, and great
social diversity. The number of youths in Nigeria is higher than the population of some African
countries. Over the years, youths have enormously contributed towards the development of Nigeria
through various facets such as democracy, governance, politics, economy, security, and community
development (Yusuf, 2019). Also, youths have been deeply involved in self-help projects in Nigeria. As
a progressive force for development, youths’ social and psychological disposition and level of
productivity are feasible when provided with the knowledge and opportunities they need to prosper.
This depends on the societal willingness to empower the youths in social , economic ,political and legal
terms as some of the youths’ challenges. Omoju and Abraham ,(2014) further identified youth
challenges in Nigerian from the problem of youth’s unemployment and underemployment, limited
access to education and lack of economic opportunities, lack of access to basic education, high HIV
prevalence rate to high poverty rate among others. To promote youth leadership and more inclusive
politics, more than 100 Youth organizations known by its hashtag #Not-Too-Young-To-Run in Nigeria
mobilized for a constitutional reform to lower the eligibility age to run for political office in 2016. It is
aimed to reduce the age limit to stand as political candidates to promote good governance and youth
The youth movement in Nigeria started long ago but the organized one was created in 1934 with
titled Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM)and it was based in Lagos. Its primary objectives were the
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development of a united Nigeria out of the conglomeration of people who inhabited Nigeria, and the
promotion of complete understanding along with a sense of common nationalism among different
elements in the country. Politically however it sought to increase the native Nigerian participation in
civil service and government with the ultimate goal of self-government. Furthermore, the movement
established branches in urban areas throughout the country in an attempt to promote inter-tribal
cooperation (Gann,2011).
Youth movements could be positive or negative, but as far as the government concerns, any kind of
youth movement either positive or negative would affect the government of the day’s interest. Because it
reminds the government that some policies were not properly implemented or executed, asking to
change the entire policy like EndSARS youth movement. EndSARS protesters are a group of Nigerian
youths under the umbrella of the New Nigerian Youth Movement (NNYM) that demand the
disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit, as well as, other reforms in the Nigerian
Police Force (NPF). At the beginning of the EndSARS, heir demands were very clear and
straightforward urging the government to abolish SARS, offer justice to victims of police brutality and
reform the police. The genesis of the protest was a video clip of police officers thought to be members of
the SARS unit, allegedly killing an unarmed young man (Ukpe, 2020). What started as a peaceful
demonstration by thousands of youths in some of the states in Nigeria, degenerated into chaos after the
protests were hijacked by hoodlums. Unpatriotic set of youths took over the protest to achieve self-
centered interest contrary to law and changed the narrative of the movement. Citizens’ rights were
interfered with, loss of lives, property worth billions of naira were stolen and destroyed among others.
Other reasons for EndSARS protest are the political and economic structures in Nigeria which did not
properly integrate youths’ needs. This is what led Kamorudeen stated that:
“the manipulation of the political and economic structure by political elites have endangered high rate of
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youth unemployment and underemployment, poverty, poor access to quality education, and poor access
to political opportunities, thereby influencing Nigerian youths to indulge in series of agitations and
violent act reflected in political thuggery, armed robbery, ethno-religious crises, kidnapping
etc.”(Kamarudeen,2011;171).
Consequently, the occurrence of youth’s violence in present Nigeria is on the proliferation and it has
generated public worries as the violence is seen as anti-thesis to individual’s and national development.
Nigeria has become a violence-prone nation with the youths at the centre of most of it. No part of
Nigeria is immune from one form of violence or the other, ranging from Boko Haram insurgency,
herdsmen-farmer’s crisis, ethno-religious crises, kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, and EndSARS
protest among others. Against this background, this paper, therefore examines the youth’s movement,
EndSARS protest in particular and challenges confronting youth in the country. Consequently, the paper
is divided into seven sections. Section one provides an introduction while section two deals with the
conceptual framework. Section three deals with the empirical review, while section four examines
youths and Nigerian police on EndSARS protest. This explains the deteriorated relationship between
Nigerian youths and NPF. Section five explains the challenges confronting Nigerian youths while
section six offers recommendations and section seven provided for the conclusion.
Police brutality has become a polarizing topic; in the Nigeria, the debate has been ongoing. Critics argue
that police brutality leads to abuse of authority and a subtle shift towards a ―police state. The debate
surrounding the topic of police brutality has primarily focused on the issue of use of violence and
excessive force. Selective use of violent crime statistics by both supporters and critics of police brutality
have added to the confusion surrounding the issue. It has been debated that military equipment obtained
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under the guise of violence has promoted the adoption of military tactics which endanger civil liberties.
Critics argue that the most significant effect of brutality has been on police culture. They claim that
brutality has promoted an overly aggressive form of policing that embraces force as the primary means
to solve social problems, encourages the use of unnecessary and excessive force, and teaches officers to
On the other hand, proponents believe that some degree of police brutality is necessary for law
enforcement to combat emerging threats from terrorism, homegrown violent extremism, and attacks by
heavily armed violent criminals. This argument proposes that police have been forced to use military-
style weapons and protective equipment to keep pace with an ever-changing adversary.
The potential ramifications of the police brutality debate are substantial. At one end of the spectrum,
policies addressing brutality could render the police ineffective at protecting the public or themselves
from numerous emerging threats. At the other end of the spectrum, unfettered militarized police activity
could severely erode civil liberties and result in a significant loss of public support.
The effectiveness of the police is largely dependent upon public support and that support is contingent
upon the public‘s view that the police are exercising their authority in a legitimate manner. It‘s thus
important to give critical and constant scrutiny to these structures as police are given extraordinary
amount of discretional authority. The issue of police brutality must be properly analyzed to ensure law
enforcement retains its legitimacy while maintaining public support. This study will focus on the
perception of youths towards police brutality, injustice and the endsars protest in Nigeria.
The overall objective study is to assess the perception of youths on police brutality, injustice and the
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1. To examine the level of police brutality in Oyo state.
2. To examine the causes of injustice among Nigerian police officers in Oyo state.
2. What are the causes of injustice among Nigerian police officers in Oyo state?
H01: There is no significant difference in the perceptions of the youths in Oyo state on police brutality
and injustice.
The Nigerian police force is the primary provider of security in Nigeria, the force is saddled with the
responsibility of protecting human lives and properties, however, over the years, the police system has
been seen to deviate from its core responsibilities and duties. This research work will provide a
documentation of the actions of the police force leading to police brutality, injustice and the endsars
protest.
This will provide information to policy makers to make changes in the police system in order to arrest
the current injustice and brutality meted by the police force to citizens.
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This research will serve academic purposes on the subject of police brutality and add context to the
The study will cover on police brutality, police injustice and the endsars protest in Oyo state in 2020.
YOUTH: Youth is the time of life when one is young, and often means the time between childhood and
adulthood.
POLICE: The full form of POLICE is Public Officer for Legal Investigations and Criminal
Emergencies. They are uniformed individuals who are responsible for keeping law and order intact.
They are a group of personnel who are there to enforce laws, to prevent any kind of civil disorder, save
POLICE BRUTALITY: The term “police brutality” is sometimes used to refer to various human
rights violations by police. This might include beatings, racial abuse, unlawful killings, torture, or
INJUSTICE: This refers to a situation in which the rights of a person or a group of people are
ignored
brutality in Nigeria. The slogan calls for the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Some articles had been written about EndSARS because it is a new phenomenon with an old subject
matter. The agitation for the disbandment of SARS was not recent but long ago. Therefore, an attempt
has been made in this part of the paper to elucidate concepts that are used by other authors. This is
Youths in Nigeria formed a movement seeking for the attainment of self-government, social unity,
economic, environment etc. Ginn,(2011) stated that Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) was Nigeria's
the first genuine nationalist organization, founded in Lagos in1934 with Professor Eyo Ita as the
founding father and many others compatriot Nigerians. The 1934 youth’s movement has the following
objectives to:
unite all ethnic groups in Nigeria for the fight against colonial rule.
The recent youth’s movement was Nigerian’s youths protest, founded in Lagos in 2020 popularly known
as #EndSARS. The protesters, a group of Nigerian youths under the umbrella of New Nigerian Youth
Movement (NNYM) has drawn up an action plan to reposition the future, as well as demand to disband
the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and reform the Nigerian Police Force. The youths are calling
for law enforcement agencies to respect the rule of law, respect for human rights and deepening
democracy, there vital of the educational and health systems and stronger efforts toward job creation
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(Oluola2020).
There is no visible leadership for the EndSARS protest. As a result, Kabir (2020) observed that
unarguably, the absence of a formal leadership structure made the protests last for more than the period
anyone could have thought. The 2020 youth’s movement has the following demands:
Justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensations for their
families;
Setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reported police
misconduct within10days;
Carrying out psychological evaluation and retraining of all disbanded SARS operatives before
The government should increase police salary and be adequately compensated for protecting the
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad was created in 1992 as a response to violent crime, particularly armed
robbery (Uwazuruike 2020).One of the basic responsibilities of the government in all societies is to
ensure the safety of life and property of its citizens. Section14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria (Constitution), states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be
the primary purpose of government. Therefore, it is by establishing and maintaining an efficient police
force that the government provides a feeling of security to its citizens. As a result, the Nigeria Police
Force (NPF) is an agency established by law to ensure the preservation of public order and law
enforcement as well as prevention and detection of crime (section 214(3) and 4 of the 1999 Constitution
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of Nigeria). The police play a vital role in the administration of justice in any society and present the
entry point into the criminal justice system either through reports from the public or its investigation and
surveillance (Benjamin, 2007). Special Anti-Robbery Squad popularly known as SARS was a segment
of NPF saddled with responsibilities of curtailing armed robbery and other related crimes in Nigeria.
However, the police unit has come to be known for its high-handed tactics and gross violations of
human rights. SARS evolved from a special outfit created by different state Commands to address
specific violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, communal violence and religious violence.
In each state, SARS is under the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police Command. However,
the group (SARS) quickly became controversial for its links to extra-judicial killings, torture and illegal
On the other hand, SARS was a special police unit set up decades ago as Nigeria, the most populous
African country, battled with rising levels of crime and kidnappings. Initially, it was successful in
reducing cases of violent crime but more recently the unit had been “turned into banditry”, according to
Fulani Kwajafa, the man who set up SARS. In June 2020, Amnesty International released a report that
documented at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial execution by SARS between
Torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other forms of cruelty by SARS officials
against Nigerian youths are prohibited in all circumstances under the Nigerian law (Sections 4, 8, 10 and
11 of Anti-Torture Law 2017). No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether in a state of war or,
internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.
It is not enough for states to simply prohibit and criminalise torture under national law; it is suggested
that there is no range of further measures to protect the youths and prevent these forms of violation
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hence the agitation by protest. International and national human rights law safeguards, not properly
implemented, resulting in abuses of human rights. Despite the human rights and constitutional
provisions, however, ill-treatment remains routine practices by SARS officials. It is also believed that
corruption in the Nigeria Police has been exacerbated by poor working conditions, inadequate logistic
and working facilities. These have greatly undermined the operational efficiency of the police to prevent
and control crime in Nigeria. These and other reasons prompted the EndSARS protest in Nigeria.
Police brutality and arming of domestic security agent in Africa, dates back to the scramble for the
continent and subsequent colonization. The process and its execution have had critical and significant
implication on the society and the larger criminal justice system as a whole. This has had a causal effect
on the relationship between the citizens and police who over the years have drawn further and further
away from the very people they are supposed to ―protect and serve‖. This has been seen through ways of
administering their mandate that does not ideally build the confidence or relationship with the citizenry,
be at and patrol in cars, excessive reports of police corruption, poor or lack of training on public order
management resulting in excessive use of force and increased cases of extra judicial executions to name
a few. This trend in alienation between the service provider and recipient can only be exacerbated by the
It‘s important to understand the concepts in which this study is centered on militarism, brutality and
paramilitary policing.
“Militarism, in its most basic sense, is an ideology focused on the best means to solve problems. It is a
set of beliefs, values, and assumptions that stress the use of force and threat of violence as the most
appropriate and efficacious means to solve problems. It emphasizes the exercise of military power,
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hardware, organization, operations, and technology as its primary problem-solving tools. Brutality on
Brutality is a process of through which law enforcement and other personnel are organized, engendered
into a culture through training and policies. Police brutality therefore is simply the process where by
civilian police increasingly draw from, and pattern themselves around‖; in this case the adoption of
military-style equipment, tactics, and/or policies that leverage force, or the threat of force, as the primary
Since their inception, the police to some extent have been militarized, After all, the foundation of
military and police power is the same the state sanctioned capacity to use physical force to accomplish
Paramilitary policing means armed forces of the state that have both military capabilities and police
powers
Paramilitary policing is the most obvious manifestation of the adoption of a militarized ideology of
policing, or the brutality of the police militarized police or paramilitary police tend to: deploy as units
rather than as individuals, seek training from military personnel in the use of sophisticated weaponry,
special apparel, and equipment; and three adopt a system of rank that replicates the structure of the
military.
Stephen and Kraska argue that a new trend is also eminent that could also be defined as paramilitary
policing, the military has been politicized. This is the use of military to perform policing functions.
According to Kraska, police have always been militarized and what had varied over time is the degree.
There al concern when discerning police brutality is one of degree or put differently, the extent to which
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a civilian police body is militarized.
This can be seen through their structure; command and control, training and separation of the units from
the public which will be further highlighted under causes of brutality. Any assertion that the police are
not militarized is simply misguided. This is easily overlooked by police analysts who react defensively
The brutality process has a long, rich history. Just as important, it has crucial implications upon society
and the criminal justice system. Surprisingly limited research has been done on this subject in Africa and
Nigeria. Brutality of the police no doubt has effect on the interactions between communities and police.
Nigeria has witnessed numerous protests in the past. However, the EndSARS protests attracted massive
national and global attention with numerous political, business, entertainment, and religious leaders and
organizations across the globe supporting the campaign. EndSARS is a protest mounted by Nigerian
youths agitating for the immediate disbandment of SARS, as a result of brutality against the public and
youths in particular. Samuel, (2020) stated that the mass civil protest against SARS was an outcome of
prolonged and continuous polices’ acts of torture, intimidation and extrajudicial killings of Nigerians
and more especially the youths. According to Mayowa, (2020), EndSARS protest was triggered by the
public lack of confidence in the SARS of ending robbery activities in Nigerian society. He further stated
that the remote and immediate cause of the protest was as a result of prolonged acts of coercion and
Furthermore, the immediate trigger was a video that showed a SARS officer shooting a young motorist
in Ughelli, in Delta state, pushing the body out of the car and drove the deceased’s Lexus SUV. Within
days, crowds of young people gathered in Nigerian cities to demand the abolition of SARS (Samuel,
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2020). Nevertheless, the youth movement took to the streets and vowed not to back down before
substantial change was made. The protests spread into many states across Nigeria and are centred in the
largest city, Lagos. The protest of EndSARS started peacefully in the process and it turned to violence
where many innocent’s youths died and properties worth millions of naira were stolen and destroyed
(Kabir, 2020).
The protests created a powerful movement that appeared to shake those in power (Aliyu T). But those
currently in power at first misunderstood what was going on this time (Gimba.K). It gave young
difference. As the protest went viral, so did defiance of the elite in Nigeria. The trashing of the palace of
the highly respected oba, or traditional ruler, of Lagos, was symbolic of this mood. The protest has
become a conduit to vent anger with the elites in charge of Nigeria for decades and demand change.
Kakanda added that it brought awareness on the part of the authorities that poverty and hardship are
national security threats. In the end, it is now realized that the Nigerian Government can no longer take
such outrage for granted as it has done before and it is believed that the #EndSARS movement can
achieve something.
Related studies are reviewed in this section. The focus is to look at the concern, methodology, findings,
and recommendations; this will enable this study to avoid repeating what other kinds of literature have
The first study reviewed is titled: The Political Economy of the #EndSARS Protest in Nigeria: Opening
the “Black Box” of Police Brute-Force and Extrajudicial Executions, by Samuel (2020).
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The focus of the study is on the analysis of the remote causes of the #EndSARS in contemporary
Nigeria. It tries to critically examine and analyze the police act of brutality and extrajudicial killings of
the Nigerian citizenry with a particular focus on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS.
The study attached on both qualitative and quantitative data from the reports of researches carried out by
scholars, local and international NGOs and human right organizations. He concluded that the
#EndSARS protests were as a result of prolonged acts of coercion and intimidation of members of
SARS towards the Nigerian citizenry. The study adopted the political economy theoretical perspective,
to articulate the emergence/establishment of the Nigeria Police Force as a coercive state apparatus
established by the then British colonialists, despite political independence of the 1960s, and the Police
Force still retained its coercive and retributive attributes of torture, use of brute-force and extrajudicial
executions.
The study, therefore, recommended that the Nigerian state should embark on a holistic reformation of
the police institution. The study also recommended the creation of a civil police system to avoid the
The study critically looked at the remote causes of #EndSARS protest and the brutality meted on the
public by Nigerian police especially SARS. The major gap in this study is its reliance on SARS
operation only. The study failed to see Nigerian’s youth who are the vulnerable and victims of police
The second study, titled; Attitude of Nigerians Toward the Nigerian Police in South West, Nigeria, by
Mayowa, (2020), focused so much on the protest which was triggered by the Public lack of confidence
in the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to end robbery in the Nigerian society. The objectives of the
study looked at how the attitude of Nigerians toward the Police has affected the performance of the
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Nigerian Police vis-à-vis crime control and the maintenance of law and order, to determine how police
public image can be enhanced, to gain public trust and confidence. The study was a survey that used a
Thirdly the Police and the Public in Nigeria’ by Okonkwo (1966), raised invaluable issues of the role of
police in the prevention, detection and enforcement of crime (1966). Though he addressed the Nigerian
issue in his book, there are certain grey areas he failed to enunciate and examine, such as the role of the
police as it relates to society in the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria
The study revealed that the public has lost confidence in the Nigerian Police to perform its statutory
function of maintaining law and order. It also pointed out that criminals bribed Police to secure freedom
and at times, Police often collude with the criminals to perpetrate crime. The study also revealed that the
Police had turned checkpoints to Automated Teller Machine (ATM) centres where illegal money is
collected from travelers. People perceived Police as lazy, corrupt, inefficient and trigger-happy. The
study revealed a high level of corruption within the rank and file of the Nigerian Police. The study
recommended to curtail corruption in the Nigerian police, the government should improve welfare
Like other studies, this study did not focus on the challenges facing the Nigerian’s youth. It is unlike this
2.6 THE YOUTHS, NIGERIAN POLICE AND THE 2020 ENDSARS PROTEST
In modern times and some years back, the attitude of Nigerian youths towards the NPF has been bad and
on the egged of deterioration. This may not be unconnected with Aina, (2020) described that the NPF,
which is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring law and order, is now seen by many as being unable
to deliver on its mandate. The duty of the police is perceived as a gatekeeper of the criminal justice
15
system, saddled with the enforcement of the law in the society, to protect lives, and property and
The core mission of the police is to control crime. Indeed, professional crime-fighting ought to enjoy the
support of the society specifically the youths as the basic strategy of policing and to embody a deep
commitment to this objective (MarkH.Moore,Robert C. T, and George L. Kellin, 1988). In contrast, the
police unprofessionally are in problems with the youths in the society which to blur this focus. If these
unprofessional acts of the police leave the community more vulnerable to victimization, it would be
undesirable alternatives. As a result, the youths are no longer having confidence and trust the Nigerian
police in handling the responsibilities vested on the force by law. This resulted in the EndSARS protest.
Mayowa, (2020) Stated that the protest was triggered by the youth's lack of confidence in the SARS to
end robbery in Nigerian society. However, lack of confidence is not only limited to SARS alone but the
generality of the Nigerian Police. The Nigerian Police is bed evil led by social vices like corruption,
extra-judicial killings, aiding and abetting criminals, etc. He further stated that:
Despite the slogan that Police are your friend, bail is free, etc., many Nigerians still do not trust these
assertions by the Nigerian Police simply because the institution has lost its credibility and respect among
the citizens. The public believes that the Nigerian Police which is expected to be responsible for the
maintenance of law and order in the society has greatly deviated from this primary assignment
(Mayowa, 2020;3).
Conversely, on the highways policemen are worse; there are some instances where a police officer may
conspire with criminals by giving out gun and ammunitions. It is believed that the NPF is mostly
promoting corruption, accepting gratification, corrupt demand etc contrary to the law (Section 33 and 34
of the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004,Cap,E1Laws of
the Federation of Nigeria). These and other attitudes painted the images of the NPF in the eyes of the
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Nigerian public in particular youth, as most victims of police brutality. To rebuild the loss of trust Aina
(2020) suggested that the police must be properly funded, adequately equipped and trained to ensure
urgency, would go a long way towards rebuilding trust in the NPF. Also, lack of education and
enlightenment contributed to the youths violating and responding to abuses contrary to the law. To bring
to an end of this dilemma between Nigerian police and the youths, government as matter of urgency
should reopen the tertiary institutions in the country subject to the pandemic protocols. Jobs should also
be provided to the teeming youth, establish small and medium entrepreneurship and offers loan, reform
the police with professional pieces of training on the significance of the police-community relationship.
It is further believed that it is necessary to amend some legal provisions on the operation and function of
police which have negatively affected the operational capacity of the police. It is suggested that
corruption in the Nigeria Police has been exacerbated by poor working conditions, inadequate logistic
and working facilities. These have greatly undermined the operational efficiency of the police to prevent
and control crime in Nigeria. Similarly, the police must be properly trained, and adequately equipped
and well remunerated. The police must also collaborate with the youths in sharing intelligence to
The recent upsurge in violent crimes in Nigeria has created enormous uncertainty in the security of lives
and property of individuals and social stability in general. The incidents of traditional crimes such as
armed robbery, arson, drug trafficking and abuse, murder, kidnapping, rape, hired assassinations and
ritual killings are examples of the most serious and violent crimes which have been on the increase in
the recent past. The failed trust between the police and the youths resulted in that criminals are getting
more organized, sophisticated and brutal in operation and dastardly acts. The nation is witnessing the
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It appears that the primary functions of the police are detection and prevention of crime as well as the
preservation of law and order is not enforced as required. The police’s constitutional powers of ensuring
the prevalence of law and order and the preservation of public peace now resulted in rancour with the
youths. The powers and duties of the police force conferred by the constitution for effective oversight
and accountability are virtually abused. Most activities were done contrary to the provisions of the
Police Act (Section 4 of the Police Act Cap 359 LFN, 2020) which charge the force with the general
duties of protection of lives and property, detection and prevention of crime; apprehension of offenders
(Section 214(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria withAmendments2011)
etc.
In the end, it is believed that the rights of the youth must not be subjected to abuse by the NPF since the
rights are mostly the right to life, the dignity of the human person, liberty, fair hearing, privacy and
family life. The challenges or some of the factors responsible for the ineffective performance of the
Nigerian, in general, are confronting numerous challenges, these include unemployment and
underemployment, erratic power supply, infrastructural gaps, insufficient social amenities, poor
healthcare services, the lack of access to quality education and the threat posed by violent extreme is
mall in the past decades (Omoju&Abraham,2014). Those who occupy the proportional number among
the youths are youth, those below the age of forty years. Several studies pointed out that Nigerian youth
are facing challenges, despite the high population size and potentiality they possess. However, the
majority of those working aged on to have formal employment and there are few opportunities to get
standard education. Earlier this year, government statistics showed that 40% of Nigerians lived in
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poverty as found by the National Bureau of Statistic, (NBS, 2020). This portrays that the major
challenges facing Nigerian youths are unemployment or underemployment, poverty, poor or lack of
quality education, coupled with police brutality, intimidation, harassment, extrajudicial killing and
extortion.
The poverty rate among the youths has remained very high due to underemployment. The Nigerian
government in 2008 stated that 80% of Nigerian youths were unemployed while 10% were
underemployed (Daily Trust, 2008). NBS (2020) revealed that Nigerian unemployment rate as in the
second quarter of 2020 projected is 27.1% indicating that about 21.7 million Nigerians remained
unemployed. However, unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria are combined at 55.7%. This
means that the total number of Nigerians who are unemployed and under employed asof2020.The most
pathetic situation, the worst-hit are Nigerian youth with over 13.9 million currently unemployed. Youth
between the ages of 15-24 have about 6.8 million Nigerian out of job and another 7.1million
unemployed. Consequently, NBC, (2020) further revealed that Nigerian’s youth population eligible to
work is about 40million out of which 14.7 million are fully employed and another 11.2 are unemployed.
To put things into context, the Nigerian youths unemployed are more than the population of Rwanda and
several other African countries. Additionally, NBS (2020) stated that the youth Population is also about
64% of total unemployed Nigerians suggesting that the most agile working-class population in the
country remains unemployed. Consequently, this assertion may not be unconnected with various
agitation, antisocial vices and criminal act engaged by youth in Nigeria. The movement of Boko Haram
was established by youth; the movement of herdsmen-farmers was perpetrated by the youth; the
kidnapping groups and the majority of the members are also youth. In the positive part, organizers and
members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) are youth; the EndSARS movement and protesters are
youth, but it was hijacked by another set of youth who have a different mission. Therefore, if youths
19
were given the necessary care and support they would contribute positively to the development and
growth of the country. However, contrary to it, there is the tendency of youths engaging in various social
problems such as insurgency, kidnapping, herdsmen-farmers conflict, protesting and terrorism among
others.
Poverty is another problem confronting Nigerian youth because there is a proportionate number of
youths roaming around the street in cities, towns and villages that couldn’t afford three square meals in a
day.
Youths are the backbone of development of any given society. No rational community will afford to
neglect the contribution of its teeming youths because they are the vital resources of development. They
neglect this group of human resources is no doubt the most pernicious of wastes, which can militate
against the development of efforts of the nation (Oday & Okoye 2014). Conceptually, there are three
views of poverty and each one applies to Nigerian youths; first, poverty as severe deprivation of human
needs at the individual or household level. second failure to achieve basic capabilities such as being
adequately nourished, living a healthy life, possession of skills to participate in economic and social life,
permission to take part in community activities etc. third subjective poverty assessments. The core of
this view of poverty is that poverty must be defined by the poor themselves or by the communities that
poor people live in Oday & Okoye (2014). Looking at the three views of poverty, the first view
considered poverty as material deprivation, while these conditions regarded it as multi-dimension all
phenomena, and the third said poverty has both physical and psychological dimensions. However, the
majority of the youth segment of the Nigerian population lives below the poverty line, due to
unemployment.
Consequently, with Nigeria labeled the "poverty capital of the world," many citizens are frustrated and
would do anything to change their situation. These served as the fodder that added to the ranks of the
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EndSARS protesters. Unemployed, street youth soon joined their educated colleagues and these massive
crowds soon attracted local and foreign media outlets. Protesters with no food at home we referred at the
barricades (Agbalajobi,2020).
Despite the numerous challenges facing the Nigerian youths, the Nigerian Police were not helping
matter in this situation. They become known for their violent harassment of innocent young Nigerians
and forced the Nigerian youths to withdraw money from ATMs and make a transfer under duress by the
Nigerian police. Furthermore, there are various examples of people who have been raped, harassed,
flogged, extorted, injured or killed by the unit of SARS (Amnesty International, 2020).They further,
reported that SARS has been responsible for "at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment, and extra-judicial
execution" in a stretch of a just over three years, primarily targeting young, poor men.
These cumulative challenges that put Nigeria youths to form many movements to removed themselves
out of nefarious exploitation, harassment, extortion, extrajudicial killings, rapes and other ill-treatment
perpetrated by Nigerian police against young Nigerians. Historically, it is the user of these nefarious
forces, the Nigerian police meted to the members of Boko Haram that led to the escalation of Boko
Haram insurgency for more than a decade. Apart from the police brutality young Nigerians are,
therefore, most affected by government policies that have led to a lack of jobs and meaningful sources
for livelihood. Other triggers include the lavish lifestyle of political leaders. The government budgets
more money for the members of the National Assembly than for health and education.
These are some of the challenges confronting and affecting the Nigerian youth and they used the End
21
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study used descriptive research design. A descriptive study involves collecting data that test the
validity of the hypotheses regarding the present status of the subjects of the study. In this study, the
design was used to determine the youth's perceptions on police brutality, injustice and endsars protest in
Oyo state.
3.2.1 Population
The target population for a survey is the entire set of units for which the survey data are to be used to
make inferences (Cooper and Schindler, 2001). Thus, the target population defines those units for which
the findings of the survey are meant to generalize. Establishing study objectives is the first step in
designing a survey. Defining the target population should be the second step. Target populations must be
specifically defined, as the definition determines whether sampled cases are eligible or ineligible for the
survey. The geographic and temporal characteristics of the target population need to be delineated, as
well (Cox, 2008). Cox and West (1986) describe a population as a well-defined group of people or
A population in a research study is a group about which some information is sought. Most researchers
cannot include all members of the population in their studies and must resort to limiting the number of
subjects to only a sample from the population. The target population in this case were youths in Oyo
22
state, Nigeria. The target population in this study was 205 in number.
According to Currivan (2004) a sampling frame is a list of elements from which the sample is actually
drawn and is closely related to the population. In the ideal case, the sampling frame should coincide with
A sample size allows the researcher to make generalizations about the population. A sample is a subset
of a population, but that subset is only useful if it accurately represents the larger population (Cox,
2008). To ensure that the sample accurately represents the population, the researcher clearly defined the
characteristics of the population, determined the required sample size and chose the best method
The sample used was 10% of the target population which was 205 since the target population of 205 was
large. According to Mugenda and Mugenda (1999) a sample size of between 10% and 30% is
statistically considered appropriate to determine a sample size of a given population. The sample size for
the study was therefore 110 which according to Mugenda and Mugenda (1999) it is above the required.
23
3.3 Data Collection Methods
The study relied greatly on both primary and secondary data. Secondary data was collected from
previous researches and works done by authors on the same subject matter. This secondary information
was sourced from electronically stored information, books and journals found in the library. Internet
sources included journals, books, reports, and case studies done on police brutality. The secondary data
was used to guide the researcher on the background of the study and give the literature review of the
study. The primary data was collected from the study population through the use of questionnaires to
meet the study objectives. Questions were closed ended in order to avoid biasness. The questions were
structured in such a way that the feedback expected was as per the researchers‟ requirements and the
The researcher developed a questionnaire based on the research objectives the questionnaire was pilot
tested by being administered randomly to a selected sample of ten respondents from the target
population to refine it and test the reliability of the instrument and also ensure that the questions therein
Questionnaires were administered on a“ drop and pick” method to the selected respondents. At the point
of dropping of the questionnaires, the researcher ensured that the document was intact and explained to
the respondents what was expected of them. The questionnaires were filled and data collected coded,
collated and edited for ease of credibility and analysis (Kothari, 2004). The respondents were given a
week to fill in the questionnaires. The researcher ensured that contacts for the participants were received
from the respondents. Follow-up phone calls were made to the respondents so as to ensure that a high
24
3.5 Data Analysis Methods
Data analysis entails editing, coding and tabulation of data collected into manage able summaries that is
easy to interpret (Cox, 2008). This study used quantitative method of data analysis. To guarantee easy
scrutiny the questionnaire was coded in accordance with each of the research questions to ensure
precision during the study process. The data collected was classified into meaningful categories (coded),
edited and tabulation of the same was done. The MS Excel spreadsheets were used for the initial
tabulation, analysis and drawing of charts based on the respondent’s responses while Statistical Package
for Social Science (SPSS) Student Version 16.0 which is a unified and comprehensive package was used
25
CHAPTER FOUR
Male 75 68.18
Female 35 31.81
Both male and female youths in Oyo state were served with questionnaire, the breakdown and
percentages are given in the above table. A greater percentage of respondents are males while the
26
TABLE 4.1.1: CLASSIFICATIONS BY EDUCATIONAL LEVEL
B.Sc/HND 30 27.3
HSC/OND/NCE 25 22.7
From the above table as we observed the 27.3% of 110 respondents attained B.Sc./HND level in their
educational background, while 22.7% obtained HSC/NCE/OND certificate. Also 20.0% of the
respondents possess professional qualifications while 4.5% have post graduate degree. 28 respondents
27
4.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Moderate 33 30
From the table above, majority of the respondents indicated that there is a high level of police brutality
in Oyo state (47.27%), while 30% indicated that the level of police brutality in Oyo state is moderate,
22.7% indicated that there is a low level of police brutality in Oyo state.
This shows that the level of police brutality in Oyo state is high, as indicated by majority of the
respondents.
TABLE 4.4 What are the causes of injustice among Nigerian police officers in Oyo state?
Incompetence 20 18.2
28
Source fieldwork, 2021
1. From the table above, majority of the respondents indicated that low salary is the cause of injustice
among Nigerian police officers in Oyo state, 25% of the respondent indicated that lack of training of the
officers is the cause of injustice among Nigerian police officers in Oyo state, 18.2% of the respondents
indicated that incompetence is the cause of injustice among Nigerian police officers in Oyo state, while
10.9% of the respondent indicated that poor working condition is the cause of injustice among Nigerian
The findings show that low salary of police officers is the major cause of injustice among Nigerian
TABLE 4.5 What are the effect of the endsars protest on police brutality?
Responses F Percentage %
The table above shows that 43.7% of the respondents indicated that the endsars protest affected police
brutality by creating awareness to the youths on police brutality, 26.4% observed that the endsars protest
reduced police harassment in Oyo state, 23.7% indicated that the endsars protest has brought to the light
the core duties of the police force thereby reducing police brutality in Oyo state.
29
4.3 TEST OF HYPOTHESIS
I. Statement of Hypothesis
Ho1: H01: There is a significant difference in the perceptions of the youths in Oyo state on police
X2 = (O-E)2
Where
30
2
2 O-E
Responses O E O-E O-E
No 43 23 20 400 17.39
Table value =
df = (m-i) (n-i)
df = 2-i) (2-i)
df = 1x1=1,=3.84.
A decision rule is the statistical objective procedure, which guides the researcher as to whether a
In testing the above hypothesis, the decision rule states that at 0.5 level of significance with 1 degree of
freedom of the calculated value of chi-square X2>X20, reject Ho and accept Hi, where X20 is the table
value of 3.84.
The chi-square shows that the calculated value of 79.22 is greater than the table value of 3.84 at 1 degree
31
of freedom and at a probability level of 0.5. SO the (Hi) alternative hypothesis is rejected and the null
hypothesis (H0) upheld, that there is no significant difference in the perceptions of the youths in Oyo
Chi-square was used as the statistical tool to test the hypothesis. The formula for-chi square for this
study is as follows.
X2 = (O-E)2
O = Observed frequency
E = Expected frequency
= Summation sign
2
2 O-E
Responses O E O-E O-E
32
E
Undecided 9 5 4 16 3.2
Disagreed 32 16 16 256 16
df = (n-1)
(m-1)
df = (5-1) (2-1)
= 4x1=49.488
The decision rule stats that a 0.5 level of significance, with 4 degree of freedom, if the computed chi-
square value X2> X20, reject null hypothesis (Ho2) and upheld alternative hypothesis (H2), where X2o
v. Take decision
33
The chi-square shows that the calculated value of 79.47 is greater than the table value of 9.488 at 4
degree of freedom and at a probability level of 0.5. This result shows that the alternate hypothesis (H2)
that represents the positive response tested Significant and it was upheld that there is no significant
34
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Recommendation
The involvement in violent acts may not be unconnected with lukewarm attitude demonstrated by
political leadership, extravagance behaviours exhibited by the politicians and socio-economic inequality
permeating the nation. The widespread of employment and under employment, poverty, poor sharing of
resource and police brutality, extortion, exploitation, extrajudicial killings, have created a series of
emotion and frustrations, thereby influencing the angry youths to agitated for changes or indulge in
violent acts. The EndSARS protest has affected government, economic of the country, individual, group
and many youths sustained different degree of injuries and some loss their lives.
Considering the implication, the negligent attitudes by the government against the Nigerian youth and
what the youths can do, the paper, therefore, recommends the following:
i. Government as a matter of urgency should reform the entire Nigerian police force and fetch out the
bad eggs among them. So that the institution will regain its confidence from the public in general and
Nigerians youths in particular. So that to avoid the future occurrences of EndSARS or any youth unrest
in the country.
ii. The police organization should establish a strong committee that will look into any complaint of
misconduct presented against SARS or any policeman. However, the perpetrators should have brought
to book. That will be a deterrence to other rank and file in the police organization.
iii. The youths on their part should engage in schooling, petty business, small and medium business to
35
avoid idleness. In other words, you should invest their energies in productive activities capable of
brightening their future life chances so that they can contribute implicitly to nation improvement.
iv. Also, the youths in the country should be allowed to express themselves and integrate them into
governance, economic and any decision for the development of the country.
v. The parent should take up their role seriously in terms of training, guarding and guiding their
children. To keep their eyes on which friends are they moving with, where they are going. This will
contribute immensely in preventing and protecting the children not to found themselves into moving
with bad eggs youth, taking drugs, anti-social vices, violent acts etc.
It is important to recognize that the judicial commissions of inquiry have started sitting in various states
of the country. However, what will unfold next round of #EndSARS largely depends on the willingness
of the Federal Government to investigate the Lekki Toll gate shootings of the #EndSARS protesters
openly and transparently, and in good faith. Concerted efforts by the Federal Government to address the
concerns in the 7-point agenda submitted to President Buhari would also boost the trust of the
5.2 Conclusion
The paper examined the issue of the youth’s movement concerning EndSARS protest to the challenges
confronting or facing the Nigerian youths. Therefore, the public confidence should be resuscitated
towards the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), this will protect the future reoccurrences. The relationship
between Nigerian police and Nigerian youths are on the verge of deterioration. The poor attitude of the
government of Nigeria and the Nigerian police brutality against the citizenry are the factors responsible
for the EndSARS protest. This makes youths to create violent means to express their anger and
36
grievances inform of violent acts.
There is a great need for improvement of surveillance equipment, protective equipment and
sophisticated weapon as indicated from the findings for proper performance and strengthening of the
police work force. Other than that paramilitary training, civilian intelligence ,use of civilian confidential
information has been seen as being crucial in the performance of the police force in their operations.
Most of the police officers have confidential informants and most see the information from the
confidential informants being very effective in their execution of their duties. The confidential
informants are used in getting of viable information which is to be used in their work especially in
The powers and authority given to the police are very important in executing their duties especially in
the curbing of the alarming increase in the insecurity in the country. There is high need to strengthen
power to detain and jail any suspect of crime by the police officers. The major challenge facing the
police officers is poor housing and long chain of commands the least challenge was that of delay of
information and unfair treatment of female officers. The best solution to the challenges facing police
officers is building of standard houses and also better payment of the officers while the least solution
37
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39
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40
QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Respondent,
I am an undergraduate student in the department of Criminology & Security Studies, National Open
University. I am conducting a research on youth's perceptions on police brutality, injustice and endsars
protest among Nigerians. a study of youths in selected local government areas in Oyo state
This is in fulfillment of a partial requirement for the award of B.Sc. Criminology & Security Studies.
In view of this, I am soliciting your cooperation in answering the questions as best as you can. I wish to
assure you that all information given will be properly and would be treated with utmost confidentiality
and anonymity.
Yours faithfully,
08065740099
……………………………………………….
41
Please tick appropriately
1. Gender
Male
Female
2. Level of education
Secondary school
BSC
OND/HND
Professional certificate
High level
Moderate
Low level
4. What are the causes of injustice among Nigerian police officers in Oyo state?
Low salary
42
Poor working condition
Lack of training
Incompetence
43