William Blackstone, a reputable English jurist of the 18th century, defined Law as “a rule of conduct prescribed by the supreme power in a state, commanding what is right and prohibiting what is wrong”. This definition connotes that a law is established to serve as a moral compass that guides the citizens of a particular state on the ways they ought to conduct themselves thereby ensuring orderliness in the society.
A law is set in place to benefit the state, and also curtail chaotic occurrences that could endanger the lives of the citizens. The purpose [for which a law is established] is however defeated without the enforcement of such law. In fact, the non-enforcement of certain laws could make them appear non-extant with those who are meant to abide by these (‘inactive’) laws not even having knowledge of them.
It is in view of the above that I wish to beam light on the enforcement of laws in Nigeria. The enforcement of laws in Nigeria has not been so impressive, I must say; day in day out, we see and hear of individuals, flouting the law in different cases, without being apprehended- a situation that has brought about the flawed perception that we are living in a society where ‘anything goes’. A common example is the rampant disregard for the law on our roads as motorists keep violating traffic laws over and again even under the nose of law enforcement agents. Is it about drivers moving their vehicles against the normal flow of traffic or those that see no reason to move in synchrony with the traffic light? And what about the abject negligence for speed limit signs and other road insignia? These are just a few among the several unlawful misconducts motorists count as ‘minor’ offences simply because the enforcement of the law has not been efficiently enacted.
The remissness exhibited by law enforcement agents in the course of carrying out their duties has been one of the major reasons why laws are being violated at an alarming rate. Moreover, in most cases of violation of traffic laws; some officials of these agencies are in the habit of collecting bribes from the lawbreakers who are let off the hook without paying the appropriate fine or punishment the offence [they had committed] warrants. The slackness and unethical conducts of some law enforcement agents have not only given prospective offenders the leeway to continuously go against the laid down precepts but also watered down the efficacy of the law, and what we now see is a state of untamed disorderliness in some instances.
Looking at it from a different angle; our poor data management culture could have also contributed to the state of affairs in the area of law enforcement. This brings me back to the faulty systems we have in Nigeria; the lapse makes it easy for serial offenders to bypass security agencies and not get caught. keeping records of offenders in a digital base will go a long way in helping law enforcement agencies keep track of the number of times they have committed a particular crime hence bringing them to book, and in effect, strengthening the hand of the law.