The criticism of the Nigerian Police Force due to the increasing tide of Police brutality seems to have reached a crescendo. Though it is a near culture in this axis i.e. portraying the Nigerian Police force as if they are the only inefficient and ineffective Profession or Government institution populated with deviants or bad eggs in Nigeria.
There are bad eggs in every Profession in Nigeria. From Medical profession to Accountancy, Engineering, Military even in Politics where we seem to have the highest number of bad eggs. The inefficiency or inadequacies of these bad eggs manifest in one form of brutality or the other against their victims.
Nigerians are more critical of the police, perhaps because of the sensitive nature of their responsibility. What brutality could be greater than the service chiefs who are at their tether’s end but refuse to throw in their towel? It is so obvious that they have reached their peak and are now diminishing in their returns having ran out of effective ideas and strategy that could merge the sophistication of the contemporary security challenges we are confronted with. The consequence of this is Nigerians dying in their numbers through banditry, kidnapping, Fulani Herdsmen onslaught, armed robbery without a corresponding response from the security outfits.
In a profoundly impoverished country like Nigeria with majority of her people suffering from grinding poverty that has catapulted it to the pinnacle of the global poverty ladder, failed politicians who have lost the acceptance and popularity of the electorates because of their abysmal performance have the gut to pad the budget with billions of naira for their severance allowance package just for 4 or 8 years’ service to their father land in spite of the various and bumper allowance in millions of naira they pay themselves e monthly. Many retired civil servants who have spent 35yrs are yet to be paid their pension. Some die while waiting to be paid. Can we still say that the Police are the only brutal members of the society?
Politicians whose only achievement while in the National Assembly was buying and displaying on social media a posh car of N50 million as birthday gifts for their wives are being adopted as the most suitable for principal positions in the National Assembly , Are some Nigerian Politicians not also brutal, buying N50 millio car as birthday gift in a poverty capital of the world? Worse still, displaying the car on social media to taunt other Nigerians.
Nevertheless, if we must live in a safe and secure environment, the need for pragmatic and sincere efforts to strengthen the present police force in order to make them more effective and efficient cannot be overemphasized. It is against this backdrop that I wish to posit that the recruitment channel into an institution charged with the responsibility of protecting lives and property should be jealously guided.
Whoever desires to be enlisted into the Nigerian Police Force should be requested to present attestation letter from Headmaster, Principal of secondary schools or Director of students Affairs in the university as the case maybe attesting to his conduct and suitability as good enough to protect lives and properties.
Also the community leader of the area he/she must have resided for a minimums of 5 years must attest to his conduct as good enough to be entrusted with the responsibility of protecting lives and property. This is because rogues, scallywags and hoodlums seem to have been inadvertently recruited into our police force.
Aside good remuneration, it is preposterous to toy with the general welfare of an individual charged with the responsibility of protecting gives and properties. Why are we not toying with the welfare of the Military men, the consequence is better imagined? Officers and men of the Nigerian police force are transferred to distant areas without adequate provision for the allowance due to them. Frustration brings aggression. A police man that is not well catered for is not only dangerous specie; he is an accident waiting to happen and could be brutal. .
Nigeria police should be exposed to adequate training both locally and internationally to attune them with the emerging realities and sophistication of their duties. Regular and Short period refresher course to remind them of their duties to protect law abiding Nigerians and not to hurt or brutalize. Weapons in their possessions are to be used to protect Nigerians not hurt. Police men do not have the right to hurt or brutalize anybody, suspect or accused except when such suspect or accuse poses a threat to their safety or life. That is the only time minimal pain could be inflicted on such suspect to destabilize him/her.
The consequences of not paying enough attention to the above highlighted issues are what is manifesting in the increasing police brutality today in Nigeria. If Federal Government pay enough attention to these issues, Nigerian Policemen would become more efficient and be our good friend.
Remi Adeleke a public affairs analyst wrote in from Suleja
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