IMMANUEL KANT'S CONCEPT OF HUMAN DIGNITY: A PANECEA FOR POLICE BRUTALITY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The Nigerian citizens are facing a lot of challenges both internal and external. Most of the internal problems originate from the government and the corruption from government agencies. Over the years, Nigerians have endured a brutal maltreatment from Nigerian security agencies especially the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). There have been instances of extortion, bribery, unlawful arrest, and collaboration with armed robbers, kidnappers, fraudsters (419), ritualists and scammers by the Nigeria police Force. Unfortunately, nothing tangible has been done to correct these anomalies by either the government or authorities of Nigerian Police Force. In 2020, these anomalies came to a climax that warranted the Nigerian populace, especially, the youth to start a protest against police brutality in Nigerian. The effects, consequences, implications of the protest are still fresh in the minds of Nigerians. It is on the strength of the above that this work employs the method of analysis to investigate the origin, the causes and effects of police brutality in Nigeria. This work will observe that the Nigerian Police are in the habit of dehumanizing, harassing, and degrading her citizens as objects instead of as subjects for their selfish gains and not necessarily to keep law and order by all means. This work will employ the work of Immanuel Kant on Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals to conclude that human beings should be treated as subjects not as objects. They must be seen as ends in themselves not as means to an end.