Policing and Politics in Nigeria: A Comprehensive History

“Animpressive achievement. In addition to its empirical contributions, it adds toour understanding of the institutional linkages between political authority anddomestic order in Nigeria, as well as of the broader nature of state-societyrelations in Africa.” ―Christopher Day, International Journal of AfricanHistorical Studies

“Whose interests do thepolice protect and how do politics shape policing?... Omeni skillfully examinesthese issues as he traces the history of policing in Nigeria from the colonialera to now.” ―Travis Curtice, The Monkey Cage at The Washington Post
"Sure to become the authoritative book on the Nigeria Police Force.... This kaleidoscopic view of law enforcement over the last century and a half in many ways tells the story of Nigeria itself since the advent of colonialism." ―Samuel Fury Childs Daly, Duke University
Close to the center of politics since the nineteenth century, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has grown to become the country’s main security agency. Akali Omeni traces the checkered record of the NPF, dissecting the intricacies of its evolution, structures, and missions―and showing how colonial- and military-era traditions continue to underpin its uneasy relationship with the general population.
CONTENTS: The Nigeria Police Force. British Imperialism and the Imperial Police. The Colony of Lagos and Lugard's Vision. Fighting the Great War. Postwar Amalgamation. The "Nigerianization" Question. Police Practices and Institutional Issues. The Independence Era. Intrigue and Politics in the New Republic. Coups, Pogroms, and the Spiral into Civil War. The Biafra Police Force During the Civil War. Cops, Robbers, and Firing Squads During Military Rule. Legacies of Military Rule. The #EndSARs Movement. The NPF as a Broken Institution.