The Excesses Of Police In The Discharge Of Their Duty

Ekohotblog, October 9, 2020

Police are responsible for the maintenance of law and order in any given society. Their role is so crucial that it restores confidence in a society where tension is high, amid insecurity.

What is the fate of a society when the security outfit assigned to protecting its citizens, violate their rights?

For years now, police brutality in Nigeria has been a significant problem, where some of the victims have lost their lives to stray bullets, recklessness, disorderly conduct by Men of the Nigerian Police.

The Police are often accused of demanding bribes from regular citizens whom they wrongly profile “Yahoo boys”, “Hackers”, “prostitutes” and whatnot. Failure to play by their rules and pay whatever atrocious fee they demand for one’s release often led to physical attacks, tortures and in some cases, death.

Meanwhile, most victims have taken to social media platforms like Twitter to express their grievances. One of such complaints is the popular hashtag, #EndSARS, which started with an aim to revolt against police brutality and harassment and to bring to light, the activities of the now dreaded men of the Nigerian Police.

Despite the outcries of many, who have, in one way or the other, fallen victims to police injustice and prevailing brutality, many Nigerians believe that the issue of police brutality has not been looked into by appropriate authorities.

It leaves people wondering, how long will the citizens suffer injustice from the hands of the group who police them.

The average Nigerian youth, either male or female, legit worker, goes about his or her daily life, being afraid to encounter these men, whose presence could easily change the fate of one’s life.

Over time, we have come to hear of police brutality, assault, and extortion ring. Let’s take a look at some of the cases that shook social media.

Consider the case of Kolade Johnson, a promising young man who died in April 2019, from stray police bullets in Lagos.

It was said that the victim had just returned from South Africa at the time and, just like every other youth in any part of the country, went out to watch a football match in a viewing centre when the Police had an altercation with a guy on dreads.

In an attempt to shoot at the guy, the bullet accidentally hit Kolade, leaving the simple narrative of going to watch a football match, a sad rest in peace story.

Another act is that of Tina Ezekwe, which is a typical show of misconduct on the part of the Nigerian Police. Tina was a 16-year-old girl who also lost her life to a stray bullet by a police officer.

The incident that led to her death happened in May 2020, at Iyana Oworo area of Lagos State. A policeman shot at a driver for violating curfew rule, and it hit her.

Do we call it misplaced order of duty or do we categorize it as lack of professionalism in the police force? Yes, their duty is to arrest criminals, not to administer justice.

A few weeks ago, one Rivers State Police officer, Inspector Peter Ebah, was reported to have allegedly arrested and raped a 23-year-old lady at Saakpenwaa checkpoint in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State for not wearing a face mask.

The lady was travelling from Bori to Eleme on Wednesday when the Police stopped their vehicle at Tai checkpoint, and the lady was singled out from the car and delayed her at the checkpoint till late evening because she didn’t wear a nose mask.

Rather than take the lady to the station, Peter took the victim at gunpoint to a guesthouse where he allegedly raped till daybreak.

Or do we also consider the recent sexual abuse and dehumanizing treatment meted on a graduate, Bola, by a policeman in Ibadan, known as Wyclef.

According to videos that made rounds on the Internet, the lady was found in the home of an alleged kidnapper, rather than follow due process; the Police decided to go about infringing the rights of the said lady with terrible questions about her sexual life.

On July 30, 2020, another lady identified as IZZY also shared how her sister was asked to offer bribe or risk being raped over face mask.

Consider the case of one Bakare Olumide who was stopped in Lagos, accused of fraud even after stating that he was a social media influencer.

According to Bakare, the policemen collected the sum of N260,000, before setting him free, which is the height of injustice. How does being a social media influencer or forex/bitcoin trading, become fraud?

Another victim was Victor Osuagwe, who said some policemen stopped his vehicle, demanded that each passenger should hand over his or her phones to them. He refused, telling them that the IGP has said police officers should not check people’s phones. The next thing that followed was a series of terrifying slaps.

Victor said he was arrested, his phones taken from him and when he demanded to be taken to the police station but instead, the policemen dragged him into the bus, attempted to shoot him when one of the officers confirmed victor’s balance. They dragged him to a POS and forcefully made him withdraw the sum of N70,000 for them before he was set free.

These are few of the many reports of brutality, extortion and execution of people by the dread unit of the Nigerian Police, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and Anti-Kidnapping Squad.

It will be a welcome development; if the government can checkmate the activities of the Police, to ensure that they discharge their duties lawfully.
As at this time, many Nigerians believe that the unit of the Nigerian Police, called SARS, should be disbanded or reformed. This will make the citizens restore the confidence they earlier had in them.

Credit: Joan Oyemolan Deba

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