EXTORTION OF ROAD USERS BY SOME SECURITY AGENTS IN NIGERIA: NO REMEDY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INFRACTIONS?

Abstract

Corruption has affected nearly every facet of human endeavors and is threatening the existence of developing countries by weakening control institutions, undermining the rule of law and good governance and destroying the economy. It significantly affects state security, democratic governance, citizens’ rights, and national development. Rather, it has merely adjusted and adapted to developments in Nigerian society. There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigerian security agencies like the Armed Forces, Police, Civil Defence Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and a host of other agencies have turned out to be a menace to society and the people living therein, by being drafted into a situation whereby they become chief abusers of fundamental human rights of citizens. The lives of innocent citizens were and are still constantly in danger and most times terminated by these security personnel. The abuse of human rights by the security agents has become rampant in the last few years. The Nigerian security forces have consistently been implicated in gross human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, extortion, use of excessive force and extra-judicial killings during roadblocks. This paper will expose the sad reality regarding the provision of adequate remedies for victims of human rights abuse by law enforcement agents.