Another Police Reckless Disregard for Lives

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.

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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 misfortunate 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.

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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.

By Hakeem Babalola

2008 copyright mysmallvoice@yahoo.com