Perception of Police Parade of Suspects among Residents of Eti-Osa during Lockdown in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine how the residents of Eti-Osa Local Government Area of
Lagos State perceive police action in parading suspects arrested in the course of enforcing the law
on the state-wide lockdown imposed by the state government. The study adopted survey research
method using structured questionnaire to ask questions germane to the study. The population
consists of residents of Eti-Osa local government area out of which 300 respondents were
selected for the study. Perception theory was used to explain the nature and extent of perception
of the residents regarding the parade of suspects by the police. The findings revealed that a cross
section of the respondents recognised the efforts of the Nigeria Police in fighting crime even
when others were of the view that the parade of suspects was just a strategy used by the police to
make the public believe they are effective in the performance of their policing function. It was
recommended that since the parade of suspects has positive effect on the public, the police should
use it as a deterrence strategy but within the limits allowable by the law.