It is an incontroversible fact arguably that the biggest challenge besetting Nigeria at this moment in its chequered history is the insecurity of lives and property of her citizens, with employment and probably corruption in that order.
These challenges are unarguably a dangerous mix which portends very workable policies to meander in a largely insecure public space, the drum beats for disaster is just but a hair’s breath away.
These challenges are unarguably a dangerous mix which portends very workable policies to meander in a largely insecure public space, the drum beats for disaster is just but a hair’s breath away.
INSECURITY AND THE NIGERIAN POLICE
Available statistics indicate that the population of officers and men, rank and file inclusive and Nigeria Police Force is about 400,000. Not even up to standard International best practices of a police man to 25 personsin a country whose population is being variously pegged at between 180 million and 200 million, the worrisome scenario, like a tickling time bomb is that of this grossly inadequate figure of 400,000 or thereabouts, about 150,000 of them (an astronomical figure by any known standard), are detailed to protect top government functionaries such as politicians both elected and appointed, High Court Judges, members of the States and National Assemblies, Private Sector Business men such as captains of Industry, and wait for it, Fraudsters and questionable characters whose source of wealth cannot be traced to any legitimate and verifiable endeavor.
This worrisome trend , to many a concerned stakeholder, needs to be tackled decisively if a breakdown of law and order is to be nipped in the bud, and decisively so. A situation where policemen who are paid with tax payers money, are “posted” to beats other than these that have to do with protecting the citizenry, is to say the least, worrisome and smacks of corrupt tendencies within the force’s hierarchy and optional mechanism.
Available statistics indicate that the population of officers and men, rank and file inclusive and Nigeria Police Force is about 400,000. Not even up to standard International best practices of a police man to 25 personsin a country whose population is being variously pegged at between 180 million and 200 million, the worrisome scenario, like a tickling time bomb is that of this grossly inadequate figure of 400,000 or thereabouts, about 150,000 of them (an astronomical figure by any known standard), are detailed to protect top government functionaries such as politicians both elected and appointed, High Court Judges, members of the States and National Assemblies, Private Sector Business men such as captains of Industry, and wait for it, Fraudsters and questionable characters whose source of wealth cannot be traced to any legitimate and verifiable endeavor.
This worrisome trend , to many a concerned stakeholder, needs to be tackled decisively if a breakdown of law and order is to be nipped in the bud, and decisively so. A situation where policemen who are paid with tax payers money, are “posted” to beats other than these that have to do with protecting the citizenry, is to say the least, worrisome and smacks of corrupt tendencies within the force’s hierarchy and optional mechanism.
POLICE POSTINGS, A POSER
Investigations reveal that posting of officers and men of the Police force is the exclusive presence of the Welfare Department of the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Depending on how “lucrative” such states are, the organized syndicate charge various fees before postings or transfers are effected. To be posted to Delta State for instance, a whopping sum of between N30,000 to N40,000 must be paid as “transfer fee” by the posting receives official backing! On the flip side, it is only on marital grounds, i.e a police woman is married and seeks for transfer to the location where her husband lives that the “transfer fee” is reduced.
Now, what of the N250,000 police men left at the various beats or formations across the country? These category of persons who could not “settle” by paying the ”transfer” fees to get “lucrative” beats are the ones that our of frustration at not being assigned juicy beats, resort to all manner of unprofessional conduct to make ends meet. This is characterized by brazen acts of intimidation of the masses that by law they are paid to protect, glaring extortion and harassment with unlawful arrests, detention and such other unsavoring underhand tactics.
Investigations reveal that posting of officers and men of the Police force is the exclusive presence of the Welfare Department of the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Depending on how “lucrative” such states are, the organized syndicate charge various fees before postings or transfers are effected. To be posted to Delta State for instance, a whopping sum of between N30,000 to N40,000 must be paid as “transfer fee” by the posting receives official backing! On the flip side, it is only on marital grounds, i.e a police woman is married and seeks for transfer to the location where her husband lives that the “transfer fee” is reduced.
Now, what of the N250,000 police men left at the various beats or formations across the country? These category of persons who could not “settle” by paying the ”transfer” fees to get “lucrative” beats are the ones that our of frustration at not being assigned juicy beats, resort to all manner of unprofessional conduct to make ends meet. This is characterized by brazen acts of intimidation of the masses that by law they are paid to protect, glaring extortion and harassment with unlawful arrests, detention and such other unsavoring underhand tactics.
THE PRESENT REALITY
It is crystal clear, as a matter of commonsense and sound reasoning that the majority of our productive police population haven been unwillingly reduced to mere sentries and orderlies to top government officials. More worrisome, too, is that these person have now acquired a nuisance value in the society as they are openly used by desperate power seeking politicians to commit electoral offences and even intimidate voters to their favour.
It is crystal clear, as a matter of commonsense and sound reasoning that the majority of our productive police population haven been unwillingly reduced to mere sentries and orderlies to top government officials. More worrisome, too, is that these person have now acquired a nuisance value in the society as they are openly used by desperate power seeking politicians to commit electoral offences and even intimidate voters to their favour.
THE DIRE NEED FOR POLICE REFORMS
Let it be clearly stated that any reform in the Police Force (and we must be very serious with it as we haven paid too much lip service to the topic) must begin by the deliberate withdrawal of the humongous number of police officers attached to protect public officials , private individuals and corporate concerns nationwide.
The only exemption to this is withdrawal should be President and his Vice, the Governors and their deputies, and High Court Judges from the Lower to Supreme Court. The other public officials like State and Federal lawmakers should make do with officers from the Nigeria Security and Defence Corps (NSCDC) since they (NSDC) have now been authorized by law to carry arms.
In the case of the private sector, there should be appropriate legislation making it compulsory for them to engage the serviced of private security outfits which are even managed by retired policemen and other security outfits which are even managed by retired policemen and other security personnel of the |Armed Forces. That way, the officers and men of the Police Force that have been detailed to them will now be posted to other strategic beats to beef up security at the various formations. Without this initiative, it will be glaring that there is something fundamentally wrong and morally corrupt in deploying persons paid with tax payers money who should be protecting lives and property of the citizens to be posted to homes of private individuals and organizations.
Let it be clearly stated that any reform in the Police Force (and we must be very serious with it as we haven paid too much lip service to the topic) must begin by the deliberate withdrawal of the humongous number of police officers attached to protect public officials , private individuals and corporate concerns nationwide.
The only exemption to this is withdrawal should be President and his Vice, the Governors and their deputies, and High Court Judges from the Lower to Supreme Court. The other public officials like State and Federal lawmakers should make do with officers from the Nigeria Security and Defence Corps (NSCDC) since they (NSDC) have now been authorized by law to carry arms.
In the case of the private sector, there should be appropriate legislation making it compulsory for them to engage the serviced of private security outfits which are even managed by retired policemen and other security outfits which are even managed by retired policemen and other security personnel of the |Armed Forces. That way, the officers and men of the Police Force that have been detailed to them will now be posted to other strategic beats to beef up security at the various formations. Without this initiative, it will be glaring that there is something fundamentally wrong and morally corrupt in deploying persons paid with tax payers money who should be protecting lives and property of the citizens to be posted to homes of private individuals and organizations.
THE RESULT OF REFORMS
There is no gainsaying the fact that the urgent reforms of the Nigeria Police Force is long overdue and that several benefits will accrue.
Apart from giving Nigerians a sense of pride, it will nip in the land, the ugly and inacceptable corrupt practices being perpetuated within the force’s hierarchy by questionable postings to “lucrative” beats by the highest bidders. This will undoubtedly provide a level playing field and engender the spirit of competition and merit as it will be seen that the exercise is transparent and devoid of pecuniary interest by the posting authority. This done, the engendering increased over all efficiency in the force will be guaranteed.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the urgent reforms of the Nigeria Police Force is long overdue and that several benefits will accrue.
Apart from giving Nigerians a sense of pride, it will nip in the land, the ugly and inacceptable corrupt practices being perpetuated within the force’s hierarchy by questionable postings to “lucrative” beats by the highest bidders. This will undoubtedly provide a level playing field and engender the spirit of competition and merit as it will be seen that the exercise is transparent and devoid of pecuniary interest by the posting authority. This done, the engendering increased over all efficiency in the force will be guaranteed.
CONCLUSION
With the strident clamour by many sectors of the country for state police due to the inability of the Nigeria Police Force to effectively protect lives and property of Nigerians, it is believed that if the Police High Command “frees” this staggering number of over 150,000 policemen deployed curiously to a few well to do individuals to the detriment of the generality of tax paying citizens, security will be beefed up in the Nation’s troubled spots and the clamor for state police will abate. Some school of though have been a bit circumspect as to workability of the state police agitation as they feel that the state governors will use it to settle political scores with their opponents and enemies if given the powers to establish them
It therefore behooves on the Police High Command to do the needful and ensure that best practices of professionalism and civility are maintained, while the over 150,000 police men deployed to protect less than 10% of the country’s population are recalled and spread evenly to join the others in protecting the lives and properties of over 180 million Nigerians whose tax sustains them.
With the strident clamour by many sectors of the country for state police due to the inability of the Nigeria Police Force to effectively protect lives and property of Nigerians, it is believed that if the Police High Command “frees” this staggering number of over 150,000 policemen deployed curiously to a few well to do individuals to the detriment of the generality of tax paying citizens, security will be beefed up in the Nation’s troubled spots and the clamor for state police will abate. Some school of though have been a bit circumspect as to workability of the state police agitation as they feel that the state governors will use it to settle political scores with their opponents and enemies if given the powers to establish them
It therefore behooves on the Police High Command to do the needful and ensure that best practices of professionalism
NOTE: This is an intellectual property of Voice of the street advocacy Magazine, A publication of Revive Africa Initiative
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