Youth Violence and Policing Responsibilities in Nigeria

Abstract

Youth violence now poses great threat to policing responsibilities in Nigeria. It is usually characterized by attacks at policemen and police facilities ultimately resulting in killing of policemen/officers and wanton destruction of police facilities. The Arab Spring that started in Magherb and spread like wild fire to many parts of the Arab world; the recent “End SARS†protest in Nigeria both had the youth as the driving force. Policing in Nigeria has never been the same after the “End SARS†protest. Officers now live in palpable fear and feel reluctant to perform their duties. Government of Nigeria did not help matters as families of the deceased officers were not compensated by Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). Those wounded were left at the mercies of their families. Destroyed police facilities were also not repaired. These dampened the morale of police officers in Nigeria. That was the height of irresponsibility on the part of the government. Initially, “End SARS†protesters requested for better welfare of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). However, the protest was eventually hijacked by the violent youth. Consequently, the FGN should take bold steps in employment creation for the youth and also embark on youth oriented policies. This article looks at the effect of youth violence to policing in Nigeria and ways to reduce it to the barest minimum. The paper will assess the extent to which Nigeria has complied with policies on human rights, youth empowerment and policing responsibilities. The paper adopts doctrinal approach with reliance placed on secondary sources of data. The major theory of violence Social Disorganization Theory (SDT) is examined.