Study of Police Brutality and Human Rights Violations in Lagos State

Police brutality and extrajudicial conduct by Nigerian security forces has become a defining human rights concern, catalysed by the 2020 EndSARS protests and the documented abuses of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. This study examined the patterns, causes, and community effects of police brutality in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. A descriptive survey was conducted among 300 Lagos residents from five LGAs (Mushin, Kosofe, Alimosho, Lagos Island, and Ajegunle) using stratified random sampling. A structured questionnaire assessed personal or witnessed experiences of police brutality, reporting behaviour, trust in the police, and knowledge of redress mechanisms. Results showed that 61.7 percent of respondents had personally experienced or directly witnessed police brutality in the preceding three years. The most common forms were extortion under threat of arrest (72.4 percent of those with experience), physical assault (48.3 percent), and unlawful detention (39.7 percent). Formal complaints had been filed in only 8.9 percent of cases. Knowledge of the Police Service Commission complaint procedure was present in only 19.3 percent of respondents. Youth aged 18 to 35 and residents of low-income communities showed the highest rates of exposure. The study concludes that police brutality is systematic and undermines community safety and police legitimacy. Recommendations include independent police oversight body strengthening, mandatory bodycam deployment, police professional training reform, and accessible victim complaint and redress mechanisms.

Keywords: police brutality, human rights, police accountability, Lagos State, police reform