National Security and Its Impact on Policing: A Review of The Media, Judiciary and State Response in Nigeria, 1960-2017

It is not possible to present a concise analytical discourse on National Security and its Impact on policing in Nigeria without mentioning the role of the media and Judiciary over the years. This study observes that national security has impacted on policing in Nigeria in the sense that it has brought to the fore the fact that Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria have struggled to manage threats talk less of effectively tackling them. It is established in this paper that a greater percentage of these threats to National Security could have been dealt with or prevented if Law Enforcement Agencies had acted professional in carrying out their responsibilities. Notwithstanding, this study observes that even though issues of insecurity have for long saturated Nigeria’s history, especially since the nation’s independence in 1960. By 1999 these threats became more pronounced and by 2017 they had taken an even more radical dimension. There is a need to examine some issues that have cropped up. Although the media has often reported some of these inadequacies while the Judiciary has been depended upon to administer justice where necessary, unfortunately, a display of unprofessional in the discharge of their duties in some instances have brought their roles to question.