National Open University of Nigeria, Ibadan Study Centre, Ibadan Oyo State, Nigeria.

*Author’s Contact Detail: E-mail Address ✉: ajegbomogun_sege@yahoo.com

Accepted August 01, 2020

The Nigerian Police is saddled with the constitutional responsibility of protecting Nigerians against all forms of insecurity, detects and prevents crime. The vigilante groups on the other hand interface in the relationship between the society and the law enforcement agents. Over the years, the vigilante groups are sometimes not tolerated or supported by the police because they are considered to be a threat to the state monopoly of legitimate force and the fact that the police is the only constituted authority vested with the responsibility of combating crime and securing the community. However, the police are overwhelmed by the threat of insecurity pose to Nigerians. Community policing has become a global trend especially in the 21^st century. However, in Nigeria police institution providing the security are alienated from the people which poses a serious security challenge to Nigeria citizens. This study investigated the collaboration between the police and vigilante in crime prevention and control in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State Nigeria. It examined the impact of the relationship between Nigeria police and vigilantes on crime prevention in the study area. The study adopted Routine Activities and Situational crime prevention theories as guide. It was a cross-sectional study which combined quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection. Questionnaires were administered on randomly selected 26 police respondents aged 18 years and above while four (4) in-depth interviews were conducted among the DPO are 25 respondents under the vigilantes and their leaders, members of the public quantitative across the study area. Quantitative data were analysed at univariate levels while the qualitative data were content analysed. Contrary to some previous studies that found the police and vigilantes as antagonistic of each other, this study found that police and vigilante maintained cordial working relationship with each other and the effective collaboration between the two security outfits had a great impact on crime reduction in Oke-Ogun community where the study was carried out. It established that police and vigilante were in good working relationship and that there was effective collaboration between the two security outfits to fight crime in the study area. The study recommends the need for more synergy between the police and Vigilante in crime prevention. It concluded that for the tempo of vigilance activities and relationship with the police to be sustained there is need for official recognition of this informal group of crime control by the Federal Government as an ancillary structure to the police.

Key words: Collaboration, Police, Vigilantes, Crime prevention, Community policing.

Full Text PDF (290 KB)