Over the years, integrity of the Nigeria Police Force have consistently dwindled. Of all the security agents in the country, the police is regarded as the least in terms of honor. The force have perpetually attracted harsh comments for the conduct of it’s officers from the public. A critical review of public opinion on the veracity of the police shows that an average Nigerian have lost hope in the force.
Recently, an article; “Are the Nigerian Police Thief-Catchers or are they Thieves Themselves?” by Femii Aribisala generated a lot of controversies among social network users in Nigeria. The article tried to present in practical terms, the day-to-day relationship between the police and Nigerians. Such thought-provoking topics on traffic violation, bail and prosecution were extensively thrashed-out in Femi’s article.
Nigerians who read the article reacted differently to Femi’s opinion. They had these to say on PREMIUM TIMES’ Facebook post on the article;
- Eniola Awoniyi: Increase their salary, educate them regularly,take care of their family when they died for their nation, fund them effectively and monitor their activity, punish them when they are found wanting, let them know that they are never above the law! Bcos (because) u cannot do without them!
- Obinna Ihegborow: How many police men have u seen buying the best car or building the best house with their ill gotten wealth. What happens is that they harass poor and not the politicians>>> Most police (officers) are thieves, only few of them are clean and God fearing among them are my friends in the service.
- Iromini Abiodun: I see d police as evil cos I have seen and experienced what evil they do..It wil take God 2 convince me otherwise.I undrstnd corruptn is in everyone n everywhre but av nt seen an institutn as bad as d police force.It boggles my mind 2 knw I cant trust those who swore voluntarily 2 protect d society n me.If u hear of armrobers, bokoharam or thugs, d worst they can do is kill or maim but when I hear police, I shiver cos is a package of all evil..
- Hassan Danbaba: Well 2 Femi nd (and) to all, most of us grew up to meet things in the bad state, if u go down d history of Nigeria in the first republic, then u’ll come to know that the then police were never thieves, but some people tot them how to do dt… The politicians!
- Ikotem Bassey: Its funny how we criticize the police but come to think of it they are still humans, how do you xpect a police man to stop crime when the criminals have more sophistical fire power, when the police men rarely get their salary, when their welfare is taken for granted, when they are not wel trained. Nigeria is only reaping what our leaders have sown.
- Oluwaseyi Olamide Anjorin: The fact is, the corruption the level of impunity against these officers have led them into this. When you handover you security into the hands of someone and you cannot adequately provide for their needs not to talk of the weapons they use…. What else, that where they go begging, and you don’t expect a military man to beg but rather he gets it anyhow is power can guarantee.
- Ahmed Hassan: “Nigerian police with little or no logistic”the teeming populace of this country should stop casting aspersion or blaming the nigeria police of being corrupt,corruption is a hiererchical problem,that have ravage virtually every sector and segment of the society,Goverment gave patrol vehicle to various division,where would the policemen source money to buy fuel and repeir the vehicle,the policemen should use their hard end salary to buy the fuel,it is ignomious shame on our leaders,they have failed us,
- Olufemi Kenny-Adetipe: It seems u’ve neva been a victim of police harasment & brutalisatn b4. D good ones are in minority. Armed robbers are beta dan d wicked ones among them.
- Oluwafijimi Peter: this man is saying the truth bec (because) it is the society itself. Corruption and the ills in the society are general phenemona.
- Ibraheem Aliyu Muhammad Bello: D police are to corrupt.they corrupt ma frnd n his wife.befor they join d police they were God fearin,but now are corrupt,they jelous,they lie n i know they av been stealin by exorting money frm inocent victims.shame on nija police.
- Yahyah Fadhil Areyourkunlay: They’re certified thieves chasing the non certified!
- Ben Kazzy Ishaya: Ur leaders are not taken care of dem. Govt give dem vihecle witout fuel, wia do u want sem to get it? Anyway, every1 has right talk.
- Jimmy Onoja: Femi only talk about the odd side of the job,if he didnt apriciate police wrk in the country let him wait and see wht the country wil turn into if police go 2 strike 4 24hours
Femi’s Medicament
I have a simple prescription for policing the police. Create a crack unit in the police force specifically for doing the job. Their job description is simple: to arrest erring police-officers. They will operate in mufti, so the regular police will not know who they are. Any policeman caught asking for bribes or taking bribes is arrested on the spot and prosecuted. With one, two, many cases of policemen going to jail for extortion, the practice will be greatly attenuated in a matter of months. In addition, no traffic offence should attract any fine is excess of 5,000 naira. Even that amount is a lot at this stage of the Nigerian economy…Femi Aribisala
Read the full article here: PREMIUM TIMES