|
The Nigerian
Police Force is known for its noisily domineering; tending to browbeat the
citizens whom they should protect and treat with courtesy according to the law
of the land. But who is following the law anyway! It seems to me that our law
enforcement officers are addicted to inflicting pain on the citizens.
This act of
reckless disregard for lives should be of concern to the policy makers, but
unfortunately it appears no one is interested on how many lives are being lost
or saved in the hands of the police. Those who are expected to monitor and checkmate
the police excesses are themselves the beneficiary of police recklessness.
For a quick
example, even nobody raised an eyebrow when a former Inspector General of
Police publicly admitted that criminals were being recruited into the Nigerian
Police Force. How could the organisation solve the problem of crimes when it is
being run by criminals? Like other generating issues, I doubt if
Nigeria would
ever get to the bottom. This is because those at the helm of affairs are simply
not ready to build a nation.
What happened
on Monday 3rd March, 2008 at the popular Agbeni market was a tragedy that should never
have happened in a society that has respect for its inhabitants. Did they not
teach them at the
Police
College how to use
firearms? Did they not instruct them about the significant of their uniform? If
not, what exactly did they teach them at the
Police
College?
According to
reports, the policemen who were attached to a bullion van owned by a new
generation bank in Agbeni-Ogunpa area, allegedly shot into the busy Agbeni
Market when the van was about to enter into the bank premises. The policemen
intimidated and caused confusion around the market for over ten minutes? Why?
As the traders
- most of them women - ran helter-skelter for their lives, three of them were
reportedly hit by the bullets from the police officers. What is
Nigeria turning
to? Is this kind of behaviour not amount to anarchy? Or am I exaggerating
and, or allowing my emotion to cloud my reason ability? What is the
essence of having a police force?
I am of the
opinion that the police is among the noble professions. I once argued in my
article, “Empathizing
with the Nigerian Police Agony”, that by virtue of their profession, the
police suppose to be among the noble class. I still think so. But then it
berates such notion when they become happy trigger fellows. The bad eggs are
spoiling the good work of the police.
For instance, I marvelled at the way the
police rescued a 15-yr-old retarded girl locked up for 10 yrs in the kitchen of
a two-story house in
Ibadan.
It is also to their credit the detection of a string of private detention
centres by the so-called Alfas who reportedly tortured people in their care.
Moreover, I am
happy that the Oyo State Police Command did not result to implausible excuses
over the matter. It is good that the command has since detained the six police
officers involved. However, it is not enough to detain them; the erring policemen
must be prosecuted accordingly.
I am also glad
to hear that the State Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Olabisi Okuwobi
saying, “The command will no longer condone any unlawful conduct by its men and
officers”. Whilst such statement is commendable, the command should do more
than the usual rhetoric.
Nigerians have
had enough of police reckless behaviour. I am sure Nigerians would be grateful
if these hunters had unleashed all the violence on the wo/men of the underworld.
Or, of what glory is it for the command whose officers left the scene of a
crime suddenly, but ready to test their sharp shooting skill on the innocent
citizens?
In a society
where the men of the underworld are winning the battle against the police, it
is somehow a double tragedy for the same police to turn their anger or whatever
it is that might be troubling them to the helpless citizens. Nigerians must
reject this kind of development that often complicates a way of life.
I do not know
what prompted the policemen to shoot sporadically in an open market where
traders, buyers, even residents are always in large numbers. Again, what is it
that we are witnessing in our society? Are we in the season of revelation?
Well, you may dismiss my question as hyperbolic and, or the usual ranting of a
soothsayer.
In retrospect,
the Nigeria Police Force has constituted itself as a menace to society. And in
a pathetic situation like this, we are all in big trouble. But it isn’t
today that the police started such disgraceful conduct. How could this happen
in a society that has kings and high chiefs? In a society blessed with Adedibus
and Obasanjos!
This is a
question that must be answered by the policy makers. Yesterday, it was campaign
against women “indecent dressing” when the Lagos Police Command engaged in
indiscriminate arrest of women whom they say wear provocative dresses. Sadly,
the policy makers would rather pass bill against women “indecent dressing” than
tackle police unprofessional conduct.
Why are the
policy makers not interested in monitoring police professionalism? Why are they
pretending as if they are oblivious of what is going on? Perhaps the policy
makers see the police as a tool for promoting certain interest which is
advantageous to the policy makers themselves. Hum, the police force is better
left to pursue that special agenda.
There’s no
doubt that Nigerians are at the mercy of their police. After all, we have seen
situations whereby motorists were randomly killed by the police because of N20.
In the 80’s, Dele Udoh,
Nigeria’s
top Olympic Athlete, was shot by policemen in
Lagos
whilst in the country from his base in the
USA. The case was treated as
“accidental discharge”.
The
Apo six is still fresh in my memory. Five young men and a
young woman brutally murdered by officers charged with protecting them. What of
the Nsukka murder of three innocent high school students by the Divisional
Police Officer? What of the one in
Kaduna
in which police tried to discard the victims’ bodies?
Such gruesome
killings by officers of the law are just too numerous to mention. Many innocent
Nigerians have been killed like chickens by those whose responsibility is to
protect them. I believe some killings are being carried out by the police as I
write.
Sadly, there
are many solutions yet it appears there’s no single solution. And this is the
part I dread most. I think the hopelessness of the Nigerian police is a
mirror of the larger society where dog has started eating dog. I honestly do
not know whether having a State Police as argued by many Nigerians would
actually solve this lack of human sensibility often displays by our kill and go brothers.
2008 copyright mysmallvoice@yahoo.com
|
Authors 
Posted by Robot| 12.03.2008 11:59