Institutional Legacy as Trigger of Armed Violence Against the Police: Manifestations and the Underlying Factors in African Countries

Authors

Usman A. Ojedokun, University of Ibadan, NigeriaFollow
Muazu I. Mijinyawa, Kent State UniversityFollow

Abstract

Armed violence targeting police personnel and police facilities has conspicuously emerged as one of the dominant challenges confronting many police agencies in Africa. Consequently, police officers in African countries are increasingly becoming vulnerable to violent deaths and attacks in the line of duty. In view of this prevailing situation, this paper critically interrogates the nexus between institutional legacy and armed attacks targeting the police in African countries. Tom Tyler’s theory of procedural justice was employed as the conceptual framework for the discourse (Tyler,1990; 2003). The paper argues that the negative labelling that is generally associated with policing and police image in both colonial and post-colonial Africa confers the oppressor identity on police officers and makes them attractive for violent attacks by separatist groups and terrorist organisations. Therefore, it is pertinent for law enforcement agencies in African countries to strategically work on their public legitimacy to effectively mitigate the problem.

Recommended Citation

Ojedokun, Usman A. and Mijinyawa, Muazu I. (2024) "Institutional Legacy as Trigger of Armed Violence Against the Police: Manifestations and the Underlying Factors in African Countries," The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 8: Iss. 1, 115-128.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol8/iss1/13