Some Nigerians have questioned the integrity and capability of the Nigeria Police Force to effectively perform its constitutional role of protecting their lives and property.
Many are of the view that the police are no longer doing their primary duty conscientiously. They say instead of the police to protect the citizens against attacks, the operatives have formed the habit of running away from the suspected criminals they are supposed to apprehend.
A businessman, Chijioke Nwodo, who was attacked by suspected armed robbers who also smashed his car windscreen after snatching N350, 000 cash from him at about 10pm at the Boundary bus stop, Ajegunle, Lagos, says, “I don’t think Nigeria Police are still functional. This is not the Nigeria Police I used to know. They have failed Nigerians. They can no longer provide security for Nigerians. Even now when you tell them that criminals are operating somewhere, they will ask you: what do you want me to do? Are policemen not human beings with flesh and blood? They will tell you that they also have families. Now, a gang of criminals will be operating, let me take Ajegunle for an example, and instead of the police to apprehend the criminals or chase them away, the criminals would be the ones chasing the policemen, who are even in their Armoured Personal Carrier (APC) and patrol vehicles, away, leaving the citizenry to their fate.”
“We don’t have good police in Nigeria. Where were the police when bad boys are robbing people on daily bases everywhere in Lagos?
The Managing Director of Angels Guards Security Limited, Apapa, Mr. Israel Asigbe, says the constitution seems to protect the criminals against the innocents.
Asigbe says that police could not shoot criminals who are perpetrating crime to avoid extra- judicial killing.
Asigbe, however, expresses regret that the Nigeria Police Force has now become a shadow of itself, saying, “Because if they shoot at a criminal the authority would ask the officers why they should shoot. It is not a funny matter because the morale of the officers have been trampled upon by the police authority. Let the police put their house in order. Nigerians are losing confidence in them now. The earlier, the better.”
Continuing, the security expert argues that the police are not operating the way they should because the authority have not given them the free hand to do so.
In his own submission, a lawyer, Ademola Shodunke, says, “The Nigeria Police is not working very well. If the police are afraid to shoot criminals robbing people with cutlasses, tell me now- what’s their work? How can criminals armed with machetes be chasing police officers armed with AK-47 rifles? How can policemen armed with rifles run away from criminals with cutlasses. They cannot fire at them? Some will tell you that if they do so, it would amount to extra- judicial killing. In the developed nations, if policeman move close to you and order you to hands up, you have no choice than to obey. The policeman with gun is an authority. Even if you are with gun, you must obey or get hurt.”
A commercial mini-bus driver, Kamoru Osho, asks, “Do we still have police in Nigeria? I don’t think we have police. What we have are people who are doing their business of making money. Call them that armed robbers are in your house, they will never come until they are sure that the robbers have left the scene. It is only God that can protect us, not police. Even the police themselves need protection. You can see what happened during APC primaries during which people were shooting innocent people in broad day light in different areas of Lagos State. The police ran away.”
A trader, who sells pepper at Boundary Market, Mama Yetunde, says, “We don’t have good police in Nigeria. Where were the police when bad boys are robbing people on daily bases everywhere in Lagos? When you walk in Lagos, you will be looking behind you always. If you don’t have money, you will be afraid. If you have money you will be afraid. If they steal your money and you go to police station to make a report, the police will still demand for money from you. Imagine somebody who fell victim to robbers go to police station to report, the police will still demand money from you, which is very bad. We don’t have better police in Nigeria.”
A medical doctor, who spoke under condition of anonymity, says, “Nigeria Police are useless. They are shameless. Their urge to make money has destroyed their sense of reasoning. Only few of them can be said to be working very hard. Some policemen cannot assist you without money exchanging hands.”
