Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

Influence of Religion on the Performance of Police Duties in Crime Detection and Prevention: A Study of Nigeria Police Personnel in Zone

Faruk Gizaki Zaki, Prof Emmanuel Gana, Prof John Na-Allah Kwasau

Abstract

This research examined the influence of religion on the performance of police duties in crime detection and prevention among Nigeria Police personnel in Zone 12, adopting a descriptive survey design. From a target population of 12,800 officers, 1,026 participants were randomly selected, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire, with analysis conducted using mean scores. The results showed that religion affects police performance in Zone 12 by enhancing integrity, impartiality, and community trust, but it also introduces bias, procedural conflicts, and strained cooperation, underscoring the need for religious sensitivity training to improve crime prevention. The study concludes that while religion positively strengthens values essential for policing, it simultaneously poses challenges to neutrality and procedure. It therefore recommends that the Nigerian Police Force integrate compulsory religious sensitivity and diversity management training into police colleges and professional development programs, while the Federal Government should establish and implement policy frameworks to safeguard religious neutrality in policing.

Keywords

ReligionPerformance of PoliceNigeria Police Personnel

References

Adeniran, A. (2024). An analysis of the effect of public distrust in the Nigeria Police Force. Policing and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2024.2341121 Agbiboa, D. (2022). Policing and faith-based organizations in Africa: Negotiating legitimacy and public trust. Policing and Society, 32(4), 457–472. Auta, I. (2020). Religion and plural policing: The impact of Hisbah on security governance in northern Nigeria. African Security Review, 29(2), 112–128 Damsey, R. P. Elkander, E. E. and Dubijevic, V. (2023). Ethical Decision Making in Law Enforcement a Scoping Review. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication . On 20/08/2025. Ekhomu, O. (2018). Security management and law enforcement ethics in Nigeria: Policy directions for reform. African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies, 11(1), 87– Knight, L .J. (2017). Police-Faith Relations: Perceptions, Experiences and Challenges. Retrieved from https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/8672278. On 20/08/2025. Kukah, M. (2015). Religion, morality, and the Nigerian police: An institutional analysis. Journal of Modern African Studies, 53(3), 421–439 Mustapha, A. R. (2022). Sharia reforms, Hisbah, and the economy of moral policing in Nigeria. Journal for Islamic Studies, 41(2), 79–106. Nigeria Police Force (NPF). (2020). New zonal AIGs appointed for Yola and Bauchi (Zone 12 covering Bauchi, Borno, Yobe). NPF News Release. https://npf.gov.ng/news/details/396 Ojo, O. (2019). Religion, bias, and miscarriage of justice in Nigeria’s policing system. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 57, 14–27 Okechukwu, C. (2023). Religious bodies’ crime-control strategies in Lagos slums: Potentials and limits. The Journal of Social Encounters, 9(1), 346–360 Okoye, C. (2021). Public trust, religion, and police legitimacy in Nigeria. Journal of African Policing Studies, 5(2), 201–219. Onuoha, F. (2016). Religious ethics and anti-corruption practices among Nigeria police officers. Journal of Applied Security Research, 11(4), 389–406 Ostien, P. (2014). The Nigeria Police Force and the enforcement of religious criminal law in northern Nigeria. African Human Rights Law Journal, 14(1), 462–494. Walters, G. D., & Bolger, P. C. (2019). The relationship between police procedural justice, police legitimacy, and cooperation: A meta-analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 60, 26–39.