Global Perspective on Police Brutality and Human Rights Violations: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria and Lessons for Africa

In order to derive policy lessons for enhancing law enforcement accountability, this study looked at police brutality and human rights breaches from a worldwide perspective, with special attention on Africa and Nigeria. The study used a mixed research strategy that combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used to gather data from 400 respondents; SPSS version 25.0 was used to evaluate 343 valid replies. The association between police brutality and specific constitutional rights indicators, such as the right to life, political participation, freedom from humiliating treatment, fair trial, and peaceful assembly, was investigated using descriptive statistics and inferential tests. All hypotheses tested revealed significant relationships at p < 0.05 level, indicating that police brutality significantly affects all dimensions of human rights assessed. The results revealed persistent institutional weaknesses, weak accountability mechanisms, and politically influenced enforcement systems across contexts. Comparative insights showed that while developed systems demonstrate stronger regulatory oversight, Nigeria and similar African contexts still face structural and operational challenges. The study concludes that addressing police brutality requires systemic reforms, improved training, and strengthened oversight mechanisms. It recommends policy harmonization across African states based on global best practices to enhance human rights protection and democratic policing standards. The study contributes to existing literature by integrating empirical statistical evidence with strategic SWOT and PESTEL analysis to provide a comprehensive understanding of policing and human rights dynamics.