Mainstreaming Internal Security In Abuja Municipal Area Council Within The Context Of Nigeria Police Force

Abstract

The development of societies is largely anchored on the level of peace and orderliness they enjoy. However, Nigeria is facing a plethora of security challenges that places the police at the front-burner of its constitutional role in tackling insecurity. Several studies on internal security in Nigeria focused largely on local community security outfits. Studies on the security situation of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have not sufficiently addressed the role of the Nigeria Police Force. This article mainstreams internal security to identify the nature of insecurity and the contribution of Nigerian Police in the management of internal security in Abuja Municipal Council Area. A quantitative method was adopted utilizing descriptive survey. A random sampling technique was utilized to select respondents within households and neighborhoods. The findings indicate that despite the overwhelming presence of military and security formations, Nigeria’s FCT is facing a myriad of security issues that appears to threaten the safety and well-being of its residents. The study concludes that the internal security challenges in FCT are not overwhelming with an enhanced Nigerian Police Force. It therefore recommends, among others, that the capacity of personnel should be enhanced through retraining and adequate provision of equipment and logistics for effective policing.