Policing In Nigeria: Adult Nigerians Support State Policing and Demand Action on Profiling and Brutality
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Abuja, Nigeria. June 9th, 2026 – A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls reveals strong public backing for structural policing reform alongside persistent demands for visible changes in police conduct. Surveying Nigerians across all six geo-political zones, the poll finds that 72% of citizens support the creation of State Police forces, reflecting a broad consensus that decentralization will improve localized security and responsiveness. Support cuts across gender and region, peaking at 79% in the South-West and 78% among female respondents, while support remains dominant at 68% even in the North-West and South-South, where it is lowest.
Despite this mandate for reform, public trust in the Nigeria Police Force remains fragile. While 52% of Nigerians report feeling safe at police checkpoints, experiences vary sharply by region. Safety perceptions are highest in the North-East (66%) and North West (65%), but fall to 39% in the South-South, where 22% express irritation, and 18% in the South-East and South-West report feeling threatened. More broadly, 37% of citizens describe police conduct as focused on intimidation and force rather than protection of rights, indicating that coercive policing is still a common experience.
The poll also confirms that profiling and brutality remain central concerns, particularly for youth. Thirty-three percent (33%) of Nigerians say they or someone close to them were stopped, searched, or questioned in the past 12 months due to appearance, vehicle, or personal items, with rates rising to 56% in the South-South and 43% in the South-East. This experience shapes citizens’ definition of reform: 40% of Nigerians say they will only consider the police reformed when young people can carry laptops and drive cars without being subjected to appearance-based profiling. The figure rises to 46% among 18–35-year-olds, highlighting that for younger Nigerians, true reform means an end to discriminatory stops and harassment.
Post-#EndSARS progress is acknowledged but uneven. Fifty-three percent (53%) of respondents report decreased harassment by tactical units since 2020, led by the South-West and North-East at 59% each. However, 15% report increased harassment, with the South-South recording the highest at 23%. Confidence in accountability is similarly split. While 51% believe reporting misconduct through official channels will lead to action, 37% remain skeptical, with that figure rising to 50% in the South-South. Legal awareness is also limited, with 48% unaware of key protections under the Nigeria Police Act 2020.
On what would affirm genuine reform, citizens prioritize transparency and independent oversight. Twenty-seven percent (27%) selected mandatory body cameras for tactical units as the most convincing measure, followed by an independent external body to investigate misconduct (19%) and public dismissal of guilty officers (18%).
Overall, the poll shows Nigerians overwhelmingly support State Police as a structural solution, but 40% insist that visible, day-to-day changes, including ending profiling, curbing brutality, and ensuring accountability, are the true test of reform. Without measurable improvements in conduct and trust, especially among youth and in southern states, public confidence in policing will remain constrained despite institutional changes. These are some of the key findings from the Police Brutality Poll conducted in the week commencing May 25th, 2026.
Background
The relationship between the Nigerian public and the Nigerian Police Force has historically been defined by tension, systemic friction, and recurring demands for structural reform. These tensions culminated in the historic October 2020 #EndSARS protests, a youth-led nationwide mobilization that demanded an immediate end to police brutality, illegal profiling, and extortion by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Although the Federal Government promised sweeping institutional reforms, including the Nigeria Police Act 2020, which explicitly outlawed arbitrary arrests and profiling based on physical appearance. However, the extent to which these changes have translated into actual operational improvements on the streets of Nigeria remains a subject of intense national debate.
To provide empirical clarity on this critical national issue, NOIPolls conducted a poll to scientifically measure public sentiment, legal awareness, personal experiences of profiling, and support for emerging reforms such as state policing. By analyzing these dimensions, this report aims to provide policymakers, civil society organizations, and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force with actionable data to guide ongoing security sector reforms.
Survey Findings
Nationwide data reveals that 52% of Nigerians feel safe and reassured when encountering police officers at checkpoints, while 15% feel fearful or threatened and 12% feel annoyed or irritated. Regional disaggregation exposes severe geographical disparities, with feelings of safety peaking in the North-East at 66% and the North-West at 65%, but dropping to 39% in the South-South. Conversely, the South-South recorded the highest level of public irritation at 22%, followed by the South-East and South-West, where 18% of citizens feel actively threatened. This stark contrast highlights a deep-seated regional divide in trust, with southern states experiencing significantly higher levels of police-induced anxiety.
When asked to describe the general conduct of law enforcement, 31% of respondents believe officers are primarily focused on protecting citizens' rights, while 13% view them as more focused on protecting citizens’ rights than on using force. However, a substantial combined block of 37% express negative perceptions, with 21% stating officers focus more on intimidation and force, and 16% asserting they focus primarily on intimidation. An additional 11% perceive an equal balance between rights and force, while minor segments explicitly cite exploitation and self-interest. These figures demonstrate that while a thin majority views the police positively, a massive portion of the populace still experiences law enforcement as an unfriendly and intimidating force.
The survey reveals that a significant 33% of Nigerians or those close to them have been stopped, searched, or questioned in the past 12 months, specifically because of their appearance, hairstyle, tattoos, vehicle, or laptops. This systemic profiling is heavily concentrated among male respondents, with 37% reporting such encounters, compared with 31% among females. Regionally, the South-South experiences the most intense profiling, with a striking 56% of respondents reporting appearance-based stops, followed by the South-East at 43% and the South-West at 33%. These findings confirm that young people and southern residents continue to bear the brunt of discriminatory law enforcement practices despite official prohibitions.
Public opinion on police anti-cybercrime operations is highly divided, with 26% viewing them as a necessary security measure, while 40% view them as a cover for extortion or harassment. Specifically, 26% believe these operations are mostly used as a cover for extortion, and 14% state they are entirely used as a cover, reflecting deep disbelief toward cyber-policing. This distrust is particularly severe in the North-Central zone, where 36% view cyber-operations as an extortion cover, and the South-South, where 35% share this negative view. These statistics indicate that cyber-policing is widely perceived not as a protective shield, but as an institutional tool for financial exploitation.
A striking 38% of respondents believe police officers view Nigerian youth negatively, as irresponsible individuals, criminals, or fraudsters. Additionally, 15% of citizens cite active harassment, intimidation, and mistreatment of young people as the dominant police attitude, while 8% state that officers judge youths solely based on their physical appearance. In contrast, only 5% believe the police regard youth positively or respectfully, and only 3% see them as helping youth become more disciplined. This perception gap highlights a profound generational disconnect, where law enforcement is widely seen as criminalizing the nation's youth demographic.
The survey exposes a critical information gap, showing that exactly 48% of Nigerians are fully aware that under the Nigeria Police Act 2020, the police cannot arrest someone in place of a suspect or based solely on appearance, while an identical 48% are completely unaware of these rights. Gender analysis reveals that men have higher legal awareness at 52% compared to women at 43%, who suffer from a 53% unawareness rate. Regionally, the North-East has the highest level of legal ignorance, with 59% of respondents unaware of the Act's protections, while the southern zones show slightly better awareness at 52%. This balanced split emphasises an urgent need for widespread public sensitisation campaigns to empower citizens with knowledge of their statutory rights.
When asked about the likelihood of action being taken if they reported misconduct through official channels like the Complaint Response Unit, 37% of Nigerians expressed uncertainty, with 21% saying it is 'not likely at all' and 16% 'not likely'. Conversely, a combined 51% of respondents held a positive outlook, with 29% believing action is 'very likely' and 22% 'somewhat likely'. Skepticism peaks in the South-South, where 50% of respondents believe reporting is futile, whereas the North-West shows the highest optimism, with 38% deeming action very likely. This division indicates that while official accountability channels have gained some credibility, a massive portion of the population remains deeply pessimistic about institutional justice.
An encouraging majority of 53% of Nigerians nationwide report that harassment by tactical police units in their area has decreased since the October 2020 protests, while 23% feel it has remained the same. However, 15% of the population reports that harassment has actually increased, representing a significant pocket of ongoing concern. Geographically, the South-West and North-East recorded the highest perceived decrease in harassment at 59% each, whereas the South-South reported the lowest improvement at 42% and the highest perceived increase at 23%. These figures indicate that while national reform efforts have yielded positive results for a majority of citizens, localised harassment remains a severe issue in specific regions.
The survey reveals an overwhelming national consensus: 72% of Nigerians support the creation of State Police forces, while only 22% oppose the initiative. Support is exceptionally strong among female respondents at 78%, whereas male support stands at 66%, with a higher opposition rate of 28%. Regionally, support peaks in the South-West at 79% and the North-Central at 74%, while the North-West and South-South record the lowest support, though still highly dominant at 68% each. This powerful mandate demonstrates that a vast majority of the Nigerian populace views decentralisation as a necessary step to address localised security deficits and improve policing responsiveness.
When asked what would most convince them of genuine police accountability, the largest share of Nigerians (27%) selected the mandatory use of body cameras by tactical units. This was followed by 19% who favoured an independent external body to investigate and prosecute misconduct, and 18% who prioritised the public dismissal and naming of guilty officers. Regular inspections of detention cells by magistrates were chosen by 17% of respondents, while 11% preferred a public complaint tracking system. These preferences highlight a strong public desire for technological transparency and independent oversight, rather than relying solely on internal police disciplinary systems.
Public opinion is split on the criteria for true reform, with 40% of Nigerians agreeing (21% agree, 19% strongly agree) that they will only consider the police reformed when young people can carry laptops and drive cars without appearance-based profiling. Conversely, a combined 52% of respondents disagree (28% strongly disagree, 24% disagree) with this statement, suggesting they view police reform through a broader lens of national security and systemic institutional changes. This split is heavily influenced by age: 46% of youth aged 18–35 agree with the statement, compared to only 38% of those aged 61 or older. This demographic variance underscores that while younger Nigerians view personal freedom and an end to profiling as the ultimate test of reform, older generations prioritise general public safety and structural order.
Conclusion
The poll indicates that while a majority of Nigerians acknowledge improvements in police conduct since the #EndSARS protests, trust remains fragile and uneven across regions. The South-South and South-East continue to experience higher levels of fear, profiling, and perceived extortion, especially among youth. Legal awareness is low, and confidence in internal accountability mechanisms is limited.
The data shows measured progress: 52% of Nigerians feel safe during police encounters, and 53% report reduced harassment by tactical units since the 2020 #EndSARS protests, particularly in the South-West and North-East at 59% each. This indicates that legislative reforms, such as the Nigeria Police Act 2020, have had some impact.
However, systemic challenges persist. Thirty-three percent (33%) of citizens still experience or witness appearance-based profiling, rising to 56% in the South. Forty percent (40%) view anti-cybercrime operations as a cover for extortion, and 38% believe police regard youth negatively as criminals. Compounding this, 48% of Nigerians remain unaware of their rights under the Police Act 2020, weakening formal accountability mechanisms.
The public’s path forward is clear. Seventy-two percent (72%) support the creation of State Police to improve localised security, while 27% demand mandatory body cameras and 19% call for independent oversight as the most credible accountability measures. Forty percent (40%) state that true reform will only be affirmed when young people can move freely without profiling.
Overall, citizens acknowledge incremental gains but insist that structural decentralisation through State Police, combined with transparent technology and an end to profiling, is required to restore trust. Finally, for policymakers and police leadership, these findings provide an actionable blueprint to shift policing from a source of anxiety to a protector of democratic rights.
Survey Methods
The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing May 25th, 2026. It involved computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) of a proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geo-political regions and 36 states and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 4 Nigerian languages: Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and the English Language. Although we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65%; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians.
NOIPolls Limited, No. 1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com.
Disclaimer
This press release has been issued by NOIPolls Limited to share information related to the topics covered in the document. We encourage the public to use and distribute our poll results, provided that NOIPolls is credited as the source whenever our poll data are referenced, cited, or published.
NOIPolls confirms that the opinions expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of the surveyed respondents. The background information provided is sourced from various sources considered reliable; however, we do not guarantee its absolute accuracy or completeness. While thorough due diligence has been exercised in preparing this document, NOIPolls disclaims any responsibility or liability for errors, factual inaccuracies, or opinions contained herein. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views included are judgments made as of the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not align with NOIPolls' prevailing findings or insights.
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