It is very worrisome that Nigeria police and other security agencies are still operating with nineteen century mentality.
There is no way you will not come across terrible news about Nigeria police on weekly basis since 70s in all aspect of operations. Anyone that has encountered Nigeria Police in their dealings will understand what I mean.
The Nigeria Police force is just like a mini Nigeria that is plagued with many problems because it gets worse year after year.
The fear of Nigeria Police Force is the beginning of your safety.
Every measure or reforms introduced to reshape and re-position the police have failed. The police brutalize every Nigeria citizens by way of mental harassment or physical harassment if you have dealings with them except the VIP-'vagabond-in-power', the so called people in authority and their collaborators in private sector unless they have score to settle with the state.
Their orientation and training is very poor, corrupt based and disapproving. The more reason they kill people at will either through extra judicial killing or accidental discharge.
THEIR brutality habit co-exist with corruption. You can not separate police brutality from their highly rampant corrupt ways. Nigeria police force is most corrupt government institution in the country. Because they are armed they always force the way to exploit the citizens by way of bribe and extortion... they threaten and bully Nigerians when they demand for bribe and you refuse to part away money voluntary.
Nigeria police force is the biggest bribe taking agency in the country. This was affirmed by National bureau of statistics 2017 reports.
They waylay Nigerian masses on the highways with unlawful roadblocks and unnecessary check point. The level of human rights abuses by police force is unimaginable.
The few cases of abuse by Nigeria police force get reported to the authority and most of the reported cases are not logically concluded so that Nigerians can know the outcome or the punishment meted on the offending officers. In fact majority of police atrocities and crime go unreported.
The arbitrary arrest citizens through 'raiding' and mass arrest. The number of Nigerians they have sent to untimely grave in the last four decades can not be accurately given. It is a shame that the Nigerian authority that suppose to check their excessiveness have turned them to tools of oppression against the masses.
Though they are poorly pay and under funded with poor equipment and facilities, but this is not enough excuses for them to violate the fundamental human rights of the citizens and kill at will. Even the little resources budgeted for the police are most time embezzled and mismanaged by the police IG and management team.
The Nigeria police force are not providing equal protection of life and properties for all Nigerians, The highest bribe givers get the best police attention behind the vagabond in power (VIP).
The recruitment process is another major problem slowing down the progress of Nigeria police force, according to different sources majority of police recruits are ex-criminals and job seekers that take up police job out of frustration.
The issue of police brutality in Nigeria is not well documented until last five to ten years. And lot of solutions have been proffered to solve this menace but the government has failed to implement many of these suggestions. Every successive governments have maintained the status quo.
The latest change in one of their units was just a change of name from SAR to FSAR. In addition their IG recommended a psychiatric test for all members of this unit. Let see how far this will help. Also the Federal government set up a committee to decentralize the force, we will also wait for result on this.
Therefore the Nigerian masses are at the receiving end. They will keep being brutalized by the police until the government deem it fit to implement some of these helpful solutions including funding, work pay, recruitment and training.
In the mean time, the Nigerian masses should take advantage of smart technologies and cameras to protect themselves and cover their back in the face of police brutality.
Finally, Nigerian masses must also endeavor to stop showing solidarity to politicians when they face police brutality especially when they have score to settle with the state because they show little or no attention when police brutalize the citizens. The highest they do is to grant press interview or call for investigation into the police brutality. All their intervention at different levels /arms of government (executive and legislative) failed to minimize the problems. This could force them to do the needful. - Irunmole-nla
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