SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO CHECKMATE ACTIVITIES OF NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE (A CASE STUDY OF THE END SARS CAMPAIGN)

SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO CHECKMATE ACTIVITIES OF NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE (A CASE STUDY OF THE END SARS CAMPAIGN)

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Since the revolutionary rise of ICT or digitalization in the modern world, particularly in Africa, the usage of social media as communication channels has shown itself in political, economic, social, and business facets of human interactions and engagements. Due to the availability of self-expression and communication tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram, social media have exploded in popularity among individuals (Lawrence, 2020). This is due to the fact that images and videos provide an insight into users' daily lives, passions, and personal histories. The usage of social media has helped social organizations, movements, and enterprises flourish in the distribution of information and communication in the modern world; it has also impacted the transmission of government messages, decisions, and policy-making processes.

Notable is the fact that social networking has become a global phenomenon that has extended to nearly every corner of the globe. The usage of social media sites has skyrocketed and expanded into an online platform where individuals generate stuff, share it, bookmark it, and network at a phenomenal rate. Social media have given the public a voice that traditional media, although being devoted to achieving, has not yet fully realized. With the continuous advancements in information and communication technologies and expanding opportunities for ubiquitous internet connectivity, it is anticipated that individuals will have more freedom to use social media for a variety of purposes, such as monitoring the government's progress or excesses, whenever they choose.

According to Omilana (2019), social media has played a crucial part in police activity, police brutality, and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement. The use of torture as an interrogation tactic, together with other egregious violations of human rights, and the solicitation of bribes, continue to be some of the Nigeria Police Force's most egregious shortcomings, which have received widespread public condemnation. Concerned by the constant complaints of misconduct by members of the Police Force, the Nigerian Police Force has encouraged the use of social media to report any police officer or group of police officers participating in misconduct (Taiwo 2018). The Nigerian police force has always been cautioned to respect the rights of all Nigerians, since this was the only way to alter the poor public impression of them. This was a result of the surge in protests against police excesses in Nigeria, where activists and researchers have recorded considerable evidence of SARS officers and other NPF personnel violating human rights.

Intriguingly, Nwosu, (2020) notes that with regard to the Nigerian youth #EndSARs protests, which were organized to peacefully protest against police brutality and call for comprehensive policy and policing reforms in the country, social media channels were utilized by the youth in Nigeria to publicize their anti-police brutality protests, which influenced the Nigerian government's security and social policy making. This development necessitates a serious scholarly discussion about the efficiency of social media platforms as instruments that individuals may use to influence government policies and decision-making processes, as well as to check the different excesses in government in Nigeria and elsewhere.

​​​​​​​STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The Nigerian police have utilized visible internet venues to connect with residents, shape their public image, and strengthen enforcement. The need to allow citizens to expose, discuss, and mobilize around alleged injustices and excesses of the Nigerian Police Force should be encouraged, as this would go a long way towards restraining the excesses of the Nigerian Police Force, as witnessed in the #EndSARS protest (Nwosu, 2020). The #EndSARS campaign, which began in 2017, saw Nigerians share their experiences with police brutality on social media and march in many locations, therefore demanding the dismantling of SARS. The administration promised a "immediate reform" of SARS and an inquiry into claims against the unit in response to these demonstrations. This is only achievable through the use of social media, as the majority of evidence cannot be concealed.

Nwosu (2020) noted, however, that there have been instances of citizens misusing the usage of social media to checkmate the police force, including instances of doctored films, mutated voice calls, and warped evidences implicating the police force. He also noticed that even though social media evidences of police abuses are welcomed, it has not been effective in checkmating the Nigerian police force since the majority of these evidences have been disregarded as bogus or unimportant. This study aims to investigate.

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