Insecurity, the Nigeria Police and Failure of Intelligence in Combating Crime in Imo State, Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Paucity of intelligence, poor application and lack of synergy between security agencies have been the bane of security in Nigeria, and Imo State in particular resulting in security breaches. The recent state of insecurity in Imo State has prompted an investigation into why the police have failed to curb the rising rate of criminality experienced since 2019. Smelser’s (1967) and Structural Functionalism theories guided the study. The research adopted the descriptive survey design which combined both quantitative and qualitative technique of data collection. 478 respondents were interviewed with a well-structured 4-point scale questionnaire for quantitative data, while 21 respondents were subjected to oral interview. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistical mean, frequencies and percentage while qualitative data were content analyzed. The result of the study identified bad governance, unemployment, and unhealthy competition among politicians as having triggered insecurity in Imo State. The researched also revealed that dearth of professional intelligence gathering officers, lack of logistics, and corruption were the challenges hindering effective crime control. Findings further revealed that lack of modern equipment, interference from higher authorities and the role of lawyers hinder efficient intelligence gathering. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the police should improve its relationship with the civil population for effective intelligence. Also, government should provide logistics, and fund the Nigeria police to meet modern standard, and ensure there is synergy among the intelligence communities to fight crime adequately.