Okiro’s Battered Police Force

By Fred Igbeare
 

IG Mike Okiro is stuck in a very hard place.  He runs an ill-equipped national police that by his own admission is guilty of human rights abuses.  His officers are poorly trained and badly paid.  They die frequently in battles with well-armed bandits. Yet, the IG is still expected to maintain the peace.  Nigerians must be joking!  We’ve tied slabs of cement to a swimmer’s ankle and still expect him to win the race!

That police officers have been predators, not protectors of the people, is hardly news to many of us.  What is refreshing is a police boss admitting the obvious. “We are having problem with the conduct of some of our policemen,” the IG said, as reported in the Daily Sun of 22nd August 2007.  “The other time, the CP legal had to go to Geneva to defend the actions of some of our men. Human rights are enshrined in our constitution. We should uphold it. We are abusing human rights a lot, most times, out of ignorance. We should be conscious of the length of time suspects are detained in police stations.” 

Three out of five people in Nigeria’s prisons, according to Amnesty International, are awaiting trial prisoners (ATPs).  We have Okiro’s boys (and girls) to thank largely for this obscene and outrageous number.  For many ATPs, detention can mean a death sentence.  The ‘lucky ones’ spend more time in jail than their sentences would warrant if convicted.  Innocent until proven guilty is no longer true. We now have guilty until proven rich!  The poor mostly suffer in prison while the rich have no less than the Federal Attorney General to champion their cause.  But I digress slightly.

Poor training doesn’t completely explain why police officers abuse their powers.  They have too much power.  The AG constitutionally can take over or discontinue any prosecution initiated by the police, the EFCC or others.  He can intervene in the case of all ATPs who are in detention over the legal limit.  That is one check on police power.  Does the AG need a reminder here?  Perhaps most of the ATPs are too poor to get his ‘exalted’ attention?

Another potential check involves community oversight. It would require something like a civilian board to hear complaints against officers.  The board would have powers to order dismissals and prosecutions of erring cops.

Controlling the excesses of police officers is a great and noble quest.  Don’t expect much impact however from such a mission if the police remain ill-equipped and underpaid.  The FCT Commissioner of Police would agree.  In a TV interview, he spoke of how officers maintain police vehicles from their own pockets.  Hard to believe: he claimed the designers of the FCT didn’t plan accommodation for the police.  As a result, his officers have to commute from afar, depleting much of their meager pay checks. Any wonder they take bribes?  Any wonder morale is low in the police?  Any wonder they get killed so easily?  The country they are supposed to be protecting can’t even provide for their basic needs!  Forget operational needs!  Nigeria must be joking!

There may be Nigerians who are serious about better policing.  They are an alarming minority unfortunately.  Their numbers must increase quickly!  After eight years of civilian rule, we can do much better.  The military may have suppressed the police in the past but that isn’t true any more today.  Even the army complains it lacks equipment!  So who is to blame for the rot?  

President Umaru Yar’Adua and the current National Assembly are in charge today.  That is what counts now.  The past is the past.  They must act now.  Enough of the talking!  IG Okiro and his crew know exactly what they need to get the police ready to meet its challenges.  We should give them what they need: better training, forensic equipment, improved transportation, reliable communications, superior firepower and increased pay.

The FCT Commissioner made a point on police pay which I agree with.  The mortality rate for police officers is scary.  A premium pay is in order for such a high risk job.  Attracting quality staff to the police without that premium is near impossible.  Corrupt officers would have less of an excuse to indulge themselves if the pay is better.  Right now, a cop with family obligations would be hard pressed to reject bribes.  In fact, a corruption-free cop in today’s Nigeria would be an anomaly.  The conditions don’t encourage honest living.

(fredlintaz@yahoo.com)

Robot  Villager

# 1 Okiro’s Battered Police Force By Fred Igbeare ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 23.08.2007 11:34