IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL POLICY (JHSP )

E-ISSN 2545-5729
P-ISSN 2695 2416
VOL. 11 NO. 2 2025
DOI: 10.56201/jhsp.vol.11.no2.2025.pg38.47

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Nigerian Police Corrupt Practices and Commercial Drivers: An Analysis of The Yenagoa Local Government in Bayelsa State

Undutimi J Dudafa, PhD

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Abstract

The increasing rate of corrupt, practices amongst police officers, especially through the erection of illegal road checks on our busy roads to illegally and forcefully threaten to shoot to kill commercial drivers if certain amount of money is not offered to them for no offence committed astounds all and sundry. The phenomenon of police corruption in this regard is disturbing and embarrassing. Therefore, this study examines this corrupt practice in Yenegoa local government area of bayelsa state. To achieve the objectives of the study, four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Literatures related to the variables were reviewed. A survey research was adopted and a total of 200 respondents were selected from four major towns namely: Yenegoa, Okwe, Powerline Camp and Oko that make up Yenegoa through using purposive sampling technique and simple random sampling technique. A four point sketch type structured questionnaire was developed and used to elicit information from the respondents. The four hypotheses of the study were tested using two statistical techniques namely, the chi-square and the Pearson's Product Moment Correlation analysis for testing the research hypotheses. The findings revealed that greed, poverty, low salaries, get rich-quick syndrome and bad leadership are responsible for police corruption. Recommendations made include the need for police to have external monitoring bodies to help check this corrupt practice, especially on Ababa, the state capital. A reward system should be developed to honor and reward deserving police officers for being disciplined while on duty and commercial drivers who attempt to offer money to them should be arrested and prosecuted in a competent court.

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