By Victor E. Dike

The problem with the Nigerian police is not new. Despite the deafening trumpet of how successful the reforms are the security situation in the society remains dismal. Because each day brings horrendous stories of police extortion, torture and killing of the people that they are supposed to protect, and how the criminals kill and maim Nigerians in the watchful eyes of the police. Where is the hope if the police can’t police? This article examines the traditional functions of the police and why the Nigerian police can’t police.

What do the police do? It is the responsibility of the police to, among other things, protect, monitor, defend, guard, patrol, watch, supervise, check and maintain law and order in a society. The police (at least in advanced societies) protect those in danger, as they provide emergency medical services, deal with traffic problems (investigate accidents and write citations, etc) and call in fire fighters when needed.

Nigerians expected that the present civilian administration would bring a better life to them, but as the politically motivated killings started to unfold in 1999 the optimism turned into pessimism. The killers have not been arrested because the police, who were suspected to have connived with the political thugs to commit the crimes, have often attributed the assassinations to armed robbery.

There are many startling and shocking stories, but a few high profile cases, which aroused this writer’s curiosity, will suffice. In 2001, Bola Ige, the former Minister of Justice was killed in Oyo State and in February 2003, Harry Marshal was killed in his bedroom in Abuja and in February 2004, Aminasoari Dikibo. All these incidence took place before the police that couldn’t police. However, politically motivated killings tapered off after the ruling party had successfully rigged its way back into power, but menace from the daredevils continued unabated.

As the political gladiators are warming up for the 2007 elections, political thugs and gangs are again terrorizing the political opponents of their evil masters. Pam Dung Gyang (a governor-ship aspirant of the ACD in Plateau State) and Jesse Aruku (another politician) were abducted and killed. In the heat of the politics of unreason, the wife of Abubakar Rimi (chief critic of the present administration) was killed in their home in Kano. It appears that the ruling party has run out of the oppositions to kill, and, therefore, has turned its gun and dagger inward. The latest victim is Funsho Williams, who was strangled in his house in Lagos in the presence of police officers assigned to protect him.

Like those before him, whenever a political killing occurs, the Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, would rush out to tell the world that ‘the perpetrators of the heinous crime would be found.’ Embarrassingly, the killings remained unresolved and Nigerians have lost faith in the police. Consequently, the police that can’t police have employed the service of the British police to unravel the mystery surrounding the killing of Funsho Williams.

However, the story that gets this writer’s blood boiling was that in which a mob killed a lecturer who ran into a police station for safety, was killed by a mob, as the police could not police. According to the Guardian of July 27, 2006, the poor lecturer who was of the Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia, was alleged to have "caused the disappearance of the male genital organ of a passer-by." It is only in Nigeria that such a primitive falsehood could cause a human life.

Do the police prevent crimes? A police scholar of international repute, David Bayley, noted in Police for the Future that "The police do not prevent crime" but they "pretend that they are society’s best defense against crime." He noted that all the tactics employed by the police, such as visible patrols and investigation by detectives, et cetera have not been effective in reducing crime. Nobody is expecting the police to make Nigeria a crime-free society (no society is crime-free) but the Nigerian police have failed to provide its basic function to the people.

Why can’t the police protect the society? The poor performance of the police and their discontent is caused mostly by poor remuneration and lack of tools (logistics for anti-crime patrol, arms and ammunition, walks talkies, et cetera). The government that has failed to motivate and equip the police and their ‘command and control system’ has greater share of the blame. Without paying the police living wages, and without investing in human capital development, the few good officers are pushed into petty corruption. As it were, man must w-a-a-k? But, "the chain is as strong as its weakest link."

Because of lack of proper screening process during employment there are many criminals in police uniform. The police can patrol the cities and investigate crimes, and they can arrest and seize contraband goods, but would willingly let criminals disappear into the thin air when they are bribed. The court, which is colored by corruption, has worsened the situation. The public contributes to the poor performance of the police because they willingly grease their palm whenever they so demand. The police can’t "serve and protect with integrity." More often than not, it can’t investigate public complaints or perform their primary function without being bribed by the victim. Consequently, since the police can’t police many of those who have been victims of crime do not bother to report their case to the police. They instead employ other ways to deal with their problem (this is common with the rural communities with police departments).

A weak economy breeds hardened criminals. The economy is incapable of creating employment to reduce the people’s suffering and hardship causing high crime rate and social insecurity. It is no longer news that the criminals the police are battling with are better equipped.

What would the society do to get the police perform their duties? The transformation of Nigeria should begin with the transformation of police because nothing will work, as they should, without basic security. The police, as presently constituted, do not possess the skills to operate in the rapidly changing society. Equipping, training and retaining the police to function effectively in a democratic setting should be the first step. The government should educate the people of their rights and set up an independent agency where the society could report any police who demands a bribe to perform his/her official duty. As we know, it takes two to tango.

It was interesting to read recently where the IG of police was complaining that things are not working because he cannot get the AIGs’ (and the police on the field) to dismantle the illegal roadblocks on the streets and to get the political gods to stop using the siren. The IG has failed since he is incapable of implementing his policies. And, he, therefore, should "butt out!"

The society should begin to hold the police responsible for their inability to police. The federal government or the police department should be made to pay for the officers’ negligence and human rights abuses and violations. Tracking public complaints and their outcomes would provide some insight into trends in police activities so as to properly to give credit or apportion blame. This writer is far from supposing that all police officers are misbehaving, as he admires and appreciates the good job the few good officers are doing in the society.

On political killings and violence, this writer would recommend those political parties whose members are involved in political assassinations and anti-democratic behaviors should be de-certified. This is because it is the responsibility of the parties to properly educate their members to operate on the ideological conviction of the party. And, individually, instead of arresting the thugs employed by the politicians to disturb public peace the politicians that hired them should be arrested and prosecuted, and if found guilty, should be barred from future participation in politics. There should be some laid down policy framework to measure police performance (and other public officials) and any person that fails to perform should fired without delay. The police are among the most important offices that should be administered by professionals.

How has the poor performance of the police and insecurity situation impacted of the polity? It is impossible to attract local and foreign investors in the economy with the worsening security situation. Since June 2006 Onitsha has been burning and the police can’t contain the lawlessness in the area. According to the Punch of July 28, 2006, death toll has gone up to about 12. The security situation of any society determines its economic activity. Not long ago commercial activities in the commercial city of Aba came virtually to halt when criminals terrorizing the city. Other cities in Nigeria have similar insecurity problems, such as the violence in the Niger Delta and the ethno-religious crisis in the North.

The government, which has failed to realize that safety should be a top priority, would not expect any sane person to invest in an unstable politico-economic society. Thus, because of the harsh economic condition, worsened by the absence of social security programs for the needy, the poor and hungry, including the youths, are involved in petty corruption. Crime prevention requires more than policing. The governments (federal, state and local) should holistically address the dismal security situation by dealing with the economic, social and political problems facing in the nation, as they contributed to convulsing the polity. The government should, therefore, get the public involved through social education and set up an effective criminal justice system and appropriate systems of oversight that should be complimented by appropriate social and economic policies. The government should support and encourage organized private security outfits to step in and fill the void created by the police’s inability to police the society.

Robot  Villager

# 1 By Victor E. DikeThe problem with the Nigerian police is not new. De...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 31.07.2006 07:20

unregister

# 2 Victor, by observing that assasinations tapered off after 2003 Elections and that the ruling party resorted to killing its own members after running out of opponents, you have spoiled an otherwise decent essay. Police work has nothing to do with Political Party. Are the criminals not also "performing" in non-PDP controlled States? Do they spare PDP members? You must have been away from Nigeria for a very long time! Private Security outfits are doing well in Nigeria. No encouragement by Govt is needed. You may also want to find out the salary of the the lowest rank in the force before you allege that Police are poorly paid. There is no Politically motivated assasination in Nigeria that our Police are incompetent to detect. Like our Military, some of the most brilliant Nigerians are members of the Force. Given the right Atmosphere they can do a good job. Have you noticed that if a cop is killed in the course of a robbery, the robbers are always detected and successfully prosecuted. If you access the report of Police investigations into the Murder of Senator Obi Wali of Rivers State, you will understant what I mean when I say that we have some great minds in the Police. Unfortunately, citizens (and leaders) impede Police work. Police Equipment (like other govt property) is abused. Bad eggs scandalize the whole Force. Some Politics e.g. Federal Character, also goes on in the Police. Court delays render Police work ineffective. So, the work of the good ones in the force never gets recognised. To say that a citizen who offered bribe is at fault is to argue like the proverbial ostritch. Bail is free but if you don't pay, you don't get it. The bribe-giver is usually the victim and the taker is the extortioner. Who do you report to? Does the law guarantee any protection to "whistle-blowers"? I agree entirely with you, however, that we need a hollistic approach. If those who claim to know the killers of Bola Ige etc refuse to reveal, how do we expect the Police to detect? Can Police police for a victim who refuses to complain? Should a Local Govt Chairman under whose tenure law enforcement was zero ask for re-election? Citizens have to change their attitude and bear their own part of Police work. No matter how equipped the Police are, they cannot conjure leads. Secondly, every organ of Govt - Federal State and Local should be allowed to have its own Police. The constitution needs to be amended accordingly. We just must recognise that inspite of it defects, the Force is not unfixable. Posted by unregister| 31.07.2006 12:17

onwuchekwa  Villager

# 3 Interesting reading. Nigerian Police, much to the regret of millions of Nigerians, have not enjoyed the level of success that they could have. I believe Mr. Dike has hit the nail on the head by starting off his treatise on the hydra headed problems facing our police with the issue of compensation and welfare. It is nothing short of painful to see the squalor in which the great majority of our policemen and women live. Until this issue is addressed, all other solutions proposed would only be building on sinking sand. His comment - "..their discontent is caused mostly by poor remuneration and lack of tools (logistics for anti-crime patrol, arms and ammunition, walks talkies, et cetera). The government that has failed to motivate and equip the police.." - brings me to a widely overlooked area of police development in our country. Equipping the police always seems to end with (talk talk of) providing more vehicles, radios, personal gear and weapons. Even these are rarely provided with the same alacrity that governors or Mr. President provide traditional rulers, senators etc with vehicles. But i digress. Recently we have had British detectives invited to assist in the investigation of Engr Funso Williams' murder. Obviously, their contribution is not weaponry or vehiculary (sic), but technology. The government imperatively needs to invest more in Labs and specialists in Forensics, Pathology, Ballistics etc. if we are to make any headway in effective crime investigation. The Police needs to be trained in securing crime sites/scenes to allow effective use of the afore mentioned specialists. As @Unregister has aptly pointed out, Nigerian Police do not, believe it or not, lack personnel of intellectual competence. This needs to be addressed, and soon. I had to smile to myself when i read the bit about setting up an independent body to which the public can report erring policemen/women. One does not need to look back but a couple of month or so ago to the imbroglio between the ICPC and Nigerian Police where, in apparent response (read 'retaliation') to an ill-advised but legitimate reporting of the results of a survey in which the Nigerian Police was classed as a corrupt organisation, all involved - whether journalists or ICPC operatives - where whisked for a chat 'behind the counter' with our friendly neighbourhood police! Needless to say, I doubt the ICPC will be making similar announcements any time soon in the near future! Amusing yet tragic - but that's Nigeria for you. Our Police force (and i have no time to share my views on the completely useless wasteful ego-driven military-instigated change from 'Police Force' to 'Police'!) needs investment, resources, support and, most essentially, strong and visionary leadership. It needs a change, and I hope it gets it soon. Posted by onwuchekwa| 01.08.2006 07:56