The Nigeria police is without doubt, a representation of the grave level of systematic rot in Nigeria. Many Nigerians have fallen victim to the unprofessional conduct of its poorly trained officers who use their position of authority as an opportunity to intimidate, harass and oppress innocent citizens.
Without mincing words, most of our police officers act like lunatics and worst still, they never obey the law. To them, anytime they put on the uniform, they become untouchable and above the law. You will see them drive against traffic with speed without considering the fate of other road users. They run a red light, brazenly collect bribe in the open and arrest innocent citizens just to extort money from them.
It came without an iota of surprise when a recent study revealed that the Nigeria police is the worst in the world. The 2016 report which was compiled by the World Internal Security and Police Index International, WISPI and released by the International Police Science Association, IPSA, and the Institute for Economics and Peace, categorically rated the Nigeria Police Force as the worst in the world.
Instead of the top echelon of the police to hide their faces in shame and find an understandable way out of the glaring mess, the police in its predictable nature regaled us with tales how it is the best in Africa.
As an ordinary citizen of Nigeria and having lived in this country for over 25 years, I can authoritatively tell you that the WISPI report is absolutely correct.
You do not need to look far to find justification for the such a rating. Be patient with me as I take you through some horrifying experiences Nigerians have passed through in the hands of daft and murderous police officers who no longer hide their evil from the public. These experiences are just a few in the list of many such uneventful cases.
On the 8th of November 2017, six alleged kidnappers were reportedly killed by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Cross River state command during a shootout.
The SARS team purportedly rescued the kidnap victim in Ikom local government area after a shootout that left the six kidnappers dead, according to reports.
Hear the Spokesperson of the command, ASP Irene Ugbo speaking on the incident as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria: "Our men today had an encounter with some kidnappers in Ikom local government area while trying to rescue an abducted woman in their captivity.
“During the process of rescuing the victim, the kidnappers engaged our men in an exchange of fire and we were able to rescue the woman while five of the kidnappers were shot dead.
“We also arrested two of the kidnappers and our men are bringing them down to Calabar as we speak,’’ she said.
From the above statement by Ugbo, it was established that 5 kidnappers didn't survive the shootout with the police, only two were taken alive. Investigation I carried out showed that six people and not five were executed by the police.
Photographic evidence by people present at the scene further revealed that the police lied blatantly that the alleged kidnappers died during a shootout.
In fact, there was no shootout in the first place. The alleged kidnappers were reportedly murdered in cold blood by police officers.
Information gathered from an eyewitness revealed that the alleged kidnappers were alive when they were arrested by the police and taken into custody. Also, photo showed the alleged kidnappers numbering at least four climbing into the police van while being handcuffed. THEY WERE NOT KILLED DURING A SHOOTOUT!
Another photo also showed the alleged kidnappers at a place believed to be the police station in handcuffs before they were executed.
The alleged kidnappers were taken to a location believed to be the police station before their shocking execution
It is imperative to note that the police lied when it said the alleged kidnappers were killed during a shootout. It is also worthy to note that the alleged kidnappers were stripped and handcuffed before being bundled into the police van ALIVE, so there was no way they could have died in a shootout as they were seen ALIVE while entering the back of the police car and had no access to any gun.
The plan by the police to cover up the extrajudicial execution of suspects is a great shame showing how low our institutions have become.
With the above points made, it is lame of the police Spokesperson to have come out in public with a false statement to cover the tracks of its murderous officers instead of making them face the music for such a horrendous crime. No police officer has the right to take the life of a suspect in their custody without allowing the law take its due course.
Such blatant disregard for the rule of law and many other unprofessional conducts have brought ridicule to the image of the police giving its ill-informed officers the impetus to carry on with such unjustified killings because they are bound to go scot-free. Such a shame the police has become!
As a matter of fact, the police hierarchy must move fast to arrest the erring officers who participated in this extrajudicial killing in Akwa Ibom. Investigation into
this incident must be conducted in a thorough manner. Gone are the days when such impunity is allowed to fester. If the police is serious to make a name for itself in Africa and the world, it must stand up to the call and take the bull by the horn and do away with bad eggs in its rank and file. If the police pay deaf ear to this call, then it stands to be disgraced soon.
On the 13th of November 2017, a police officer was caught on camera fighting a protesting student of the Federal College of Education, Ibadan with an axe. The incident happened while the students were protesting over the closure of their school. In saner climes, police presence at rallies is to guide and make sure the protesters follow due process of the law. But in Nigeria, the half-baked police officers will foolishly attack peaceful protesters with live bullets and teargas. Policemen in Nigeria act like street urchins; they do not even know the law.
The alleged kidnappers were surprising executed and their bodies displayed by the police who claimed they died during a shootout
It is a really sad thing to see a police officer who should be held in high regard as a custodian of the law acting like a 'motor park agbero.' Policemen in Nigeria act like people with a brain the size of a lizard. Tell me, how can a police officer take his gun to a welder for repairs? But that was what a Nigerian police officer was caught doing recently. The system has been bastardized.
Back to the student protesters in Ibadan, Prof. James Adediran, the Executive Director of Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan (IAR&T) whose institution shares same location with the College accused overzealous policemen attached to the Oyo State Police Command of shooting two members of staff of the institute after they were drafted to quell the students during a protest. But the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude, denied it. He said the police didn't fire a single shot but instead used teargas to disperse the protesting students.
A police officer using axe to attack a student of the Federal College of Education, Ibadan
Hear him: "Police fired teargas to push the students to the extreme and were able to arrest some of the students that threw the stones. There was no gun shot,’’ Odude said.
What a blatant lie! A video of the clash showed police officers shooting to disperse the protesters. Empty gun shells were also recovered at the scene of the incident. Considering this ugly trend by the police to deny the irresponsible conduct of its officers, it is very obvious that the police will remain the worst in the world for a long time.
In the middle of October this year, four SARS officers were arrested in Kwara state after they reportedly sexually harassed a young Nigerian woman by name Kachi Anifela Zion to the extent of inserting their filthy fingers into her privates. The officers had accused her of being a prostitute before going ahead to fondle her privates while searching her. What became of the investigation is unknown as the police as I learnt is yet to make it public its finding.
A member of the Nigerian Merchant Navy, Ay Suave shocked many people when he narrated the traumating ordeal he passed through in the hands of shameless police officers who bundled him into their van before assaulting and dumping him in their cell for absolutely committing no crime. Yet the hierarchy of the police will read and hear these horrifying and still remain adamant to investigate and bring these bad eggs to book. Yet, they will in a moronic manner come up with excuses when they are rated as the worst in the world.
A Nigeria police officer repairing his gun at a roadside welder's shop
Some days ago, a video of a SARS officer pointing gun at two residents of Ogun state threatening to shoot and 'throwa their bodies without anything happening to him' left many of our dead ancestors turning in their graves. Those are the kind of police officers we have in Nigeria.
With such reckless display of stupidity, nothing has happened to the officer who is now a threat to the citizens he's supposed to protect.
It was in this same vein that men of the Nigeria police in an extrajudicial manner, executed supporters of Mohammed Yusuf which gave birth to one of the deadliest terror groups in the world. The same line is being followed by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari whose record for flagrant disobedience to rule of law is legendary as he has for nearly 2 years now held the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim Yaqoub El Zakzaky in custody.
El Zakzaky's wife and sons were among many of the sect members brutally murdered by the Nigerian army who laid seige at the sect's enclave in 2015. Many court orders asking for El Zakzaky's release never saw the light of the day.
In conclusion, it is pertinent at this time that men of the Nigeria police rise up to the occasion and be counted as worthy public servants. These cases and future ones to be brought up against the police must be handled with all manner of seriousness if the police is to be recognised as truly relevant and held in high esteem by the people.
It must henceforth, be transparent in all its activities. I know the Nigeria police can do better to become that public servant we all will be proud of. Only time will tell.
-Alexander Thandi Ubani writes from Lagos. He's an Editor at Tori.ng.
thandiubani@yahoo.com
Twitter:@thandiubani