Police
It is good knowing Nigeria has different security agencies. With plethora of security establishments founded and funded by our commonwealth from national to the grassroots level, it would have been safe to assume that ours should be a safe society with serious compliance with rule of law and below 60% crime rates. Sadly, the reverse seems to be the case. And that brings to question of how effective is security system?
Putting into consideration the sensitivity of this subject in question, permit me not to lump up all the security agencies across board, but rather focus on those apparatus that are seemingly part of our everyday civil lives.
The armed forces…. I can’t stop to imagine how low this arm of our national security which used to be the pride of Africa has sunk over time. Despite its high level of discipline, our society still record cases of gun men who are suppose to protect the territorial sovereignty of our nation going on the streets tormenting and molesting innocent Nigerians. You hear of cases of soldier guys becoming judges or arbitrator or purely civil matters. Woe besides you if you insult or break the heart of a lady whose brother or lover happen to be a soldier man.
In the same society, we have read of events that some soldier guys ‘sacks’ police stations because of accidental killings of their officer. Same event which many ordinary civilians had been unfortunate to experience but without no one to fight for them.
Scenarios as the above and many others brings to mind the need to ask the question, how effective is our security system?
The Nigerian Police… Few days back, a news headline on a major online media platform hit me in the face and till this minute, it keeps reverberating in my mind. And that is NIGERIAN POLICE: THE MOST CORRUPT INSTITUTION. Phew! Is this a contestable fact or not? Trust me, recent happenings in the nation which involves the police has proven beyond any level of doubt that indeed, our police system is a rot!
Where do we start from? Do we talk about the many times we’ve witnessed innocent souls being deliberately KILLED by men who are suppose to protect them all because of mundane things? Or do we start counting the many lives that have been lost to accidental discharge, stray bullets, fire exchange between men of the Police force and criminals? Are we gonna talk about the ineptitude police system which had caused many innocents Nigerians to be jailed, imprisoned or even led to death?
Situations like the above and many others brings to mind the need to ask the question, how effective is our police system?
I can boldly say our police system is a major encourager of criminality!
Yes! I mean every word of it!
Can you imagine scenarios where evil perpetrators know once they ‘sort’ the policeman coming for them, their crimes will be swept under the carpet. Our uniform men rather than see themselves as agents or ambassadors of a sane and orderly society, they see themselves as Lord of the poor and helpless.
Now, please do not get me wrong, not like we do not have good cops in the system, but what percentage of the entire system is the good guys? I doubt if they’re up to 10%.
Without doubt, there is a need for THOROUGH REFORM of The Nigerian Police Force.
This is the time that we the electorates need to hold out political leaders to account. Security of lives and properties, Good health and Sound education are major pivots of a sane society. An unsecured society cannot guarantee sound education and a badly educated society cannot boast of good health or thrive economically.
Our political representatives should stop acting unconcerned. They need to sit up and face the issue headlong. You don’t have to wait till when the victim is from the opulent class before you act. Nay, it should not be so, we are all equal.
Let there be a serious review and implementation of all that formulates the Nigerian police system. From administration to operation to what have you.
Let the IG sit up as well and stop the wastage of our few police resources to security of private individuals. We need more men of the police around us, but not the power and alcoholic drunks!
Mr. IG Sir and to all other concerned authorities, I make bold to state it here that one of the major issues with our Police is that the men are always drunk, anytime of the day, that should be looked into. Random stop and search on patrol units and use breathalyzer on them, you will be shocked at the result!
Come to think of this, in 2019, digital world, Nigeria; a country which is the giant “heart” of the continent Africa does not have a “dial” number to call in case of emergency. There should be a “National Security Number” – just three digits for Nigerians to reach out to security agencies for rescue. This number will be linked to the call centre in each police station across the cities of Nigeria. This is visible!
The issue of security in Nigeria should be taken serious and not the other way. Protection of life and properties is sacrosanct.
Enough of police killings, Enough of military brutality, Enough of docility of our leaders to the people’s plight Security should be our pride not a plague!!!
Aderoju Ladega
Kiniun Ikorodu
