SECURITY SECTOR CORRUPTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN NIGERIA: FROM PROTECTORS TO PREDATORS

Abstract

This paper examines the security sector in Nigeria and how corruption constraints the institutions that ought to be protectors of the state and citizens to instruments of private gain and political manipulation. The "Nigeria's security institutions' originally mandated to safeguard the state and protect citizens, have increasingly become tools for private enrichments and political consolidation. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of state capture and the political economy of corruption, the study explores how enriched corrupt practices within the military, police, and intelligence agencies have eroded institutional integrity, weakened operational capacity, and facilitated the consolidation of power by political and economic elites. Using a qualitative methodology that synthesizes secondary data, policy reports and case studies from 1999 to 2024, the paper reveals that systemic corruption in security institutions not only undermines the rule of law but also entrenches cycles of violence, impunity and governance failure. Findings highlight how political actors exploit security agencies for electoral manipulation, suppression of dissent, and protection of illicit economic network. The paper argues that this nexus between corruption and state capture deepens insecurity, delegitimizes state authority, and stalls democratic consolidation. Recommendations include comprehensive security sector reforms, enhanced allocation, and the de-politicization of security leadership to restore public trust and institutional accountability.