THE PORTRAIT OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE IN SELECTED YORÙBÁ WRITTEN LITERARY TEXTS

Abstract

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is one of the law-enforcement agencies in Nigeria. The modus operandi of the NPF has received more scholarly attention, particularly in linguistic, security, psychological and historical studies than it has in Yoruba literary studies. Even the few studies on the NPF in Yoruba literature have mainly focused on its methods of investigation and crime control strategies, especially in specific genres. Thus, less attention has been paid to the portrayal of the NPF across the three genres (prose, poetry and drama) of Yorùbá written texts. This study was, therefore, designed to investigate the depiction of the NPF and her personnel in the three genres of Yorùbá written texts, with a view to discerning her negative and positive images.

Sociology of literature and Structural-Functional Theory were adopted as theoretical framework. Interpretive design was used. Twenty-one Yorùbá literary texts, covering the three genres of literature, were purposively selected for their portrayal of police activities. These comprised eight prose texts (Adégbẹ̀san, Ta lolè Ajó̩mọgbé? (Ajó̩mọgbé), Àjà l’ó lẹrù (Àjà), Às̩egbé, Oyin Inú Àpáta (Oyin), Oorun orí kè̩ké̩ (Oorun), Ò̩dájú ni wó̩n (Ò̩dájú), and Atítè̩é̩bí; eight drama texts Oyíndàmọ́lá o̩mo̩ o̩lọ́rọ̀ (Oyíndàmọ́lá), Ọlọ́run ò màwàdà (Ọlọ́run), Olúwa ló mẹjọ́ dá (Olúwa), Gbamúgbamù, Ayé yẹ wọ́n tán (Ayé), Iná ràn (Iná), Ààrò Wò̩rò̩kò̩ (Ààrò) and S̩ubús̩eré;andfive poetry (Àkójo̩pò̩ ewì àbáláyé àti ewì àpile̩ko̩ (Àkójo̩pò̩), As̩o̩ ìgbà (As̩o̩), Rò óo re (Rò), Orin Ewúro (Ewúro) and Àwo̩n akéwì ń s̩às̩àrò (Akéwì). Texts were selected because they are replete with NP activities. Data were subjected to content analysis.

Aspects of the NPF portrayed in the texts are the generic, descriptive labels, personal conduct, methods of operation and challenges. In Gbamúgbamù, Àjà, Atítè̩é̩bí, Ààrò, Adégbè̩san, Iná, Ayé, As̩o̩, Ò̩dájú, O̩ló̩run, Rò, Ewúro, Oorun, Ajó̩mo̩gbé and Às̩egbé, NPF is overwhelmingly depicted negatively as corrupt, unethical, incompetent and compromising. Hence, the police is labeled as ‘asín’ (shrew), ‘ejò’ (snake), ‘aló̩niló̩wó̩gbà’ (extortionist), ‘wetin you carry’(What do you have in your possession?), ‘onípóńpó’(club carrier), ‘afeyín-pín-ẹran’(cheats) and ‘olè-tí-í-mo̩-e̩sè̩-olè-tò̩-lórí-àpáta’ (accomplice). Its personnel are portrayed as indolent, detestable, saboteurs, ‘árijẹ nínú màdàrú’(one who thrives in confusion), feeble and weaklings. On the contrary, in private life, Akéwì, Oorun, Ayé and Àkójo̩pò̩ positively depict police officers as humane, soft-hearted but firm. Oorun, Oyin, Oyíndàmó̩lá and Ajó̩mo̩gbé portray police officers generally as prompt, efficient and tactical. Oorun, Gbamúgbamù, Iná and Olúwa single out female officers as dogged, resilient, patient, hardworking, committed and fearsome officers. The NPF’s modus operandi include oath of office, arrest and detention, investigation, meetings, duty shifts, redeployment and red tapism. The challenges portrayed include gender discrimination, poor logistics, poor welfare package, inadequate funding, uncooperating public and sabotage. In all, the representation of the NPF in poetry is persistently negative, while that in drama and prose are is balanced.

The Nigeria Police Force is preponderantly portrayed as sordid in Yorùbá written literary texts, with the female officers more positively represented, especially in drama and prose.