By Oluwaseyi Oduyela
The first instinct of the average Nigerian whenever there is a police related issue is to attack the police, insult them and demand that heads must roll. Yet many of those condemning the police have, at one point or another, used the same police to harass someone, oppress a rival or chase debtors.
Mr. Femi Falana once spoke about the dehumanising nature of Mobile Police training and how officers are conditioned against ordinary citizens. But the problem goes beyond the Mobile Police. What about the regular police force itself? I have heard stories of officers in Abeokuta allegedly collecting money from recruits before postings are secured. Some officers have spoken about paying bribes just to receive uniforms after training. I personally know someone who joined the force as far back as 1994 and faced such realities.
The truth is that the Nigerian policing system was not originally designed for the protection of ordinary citizens. It was structured to protect the state and those in power. Yet, even with that, the officers themselves are poorly paid, poorly equipped and neglected.
This is not an excuse for police brutality or misconduct, but welfare is a serious conversation we can no longer avoid. Many police stations do not even have enough operational vehicles.
As a journalist in 2000, I was sent to the Ikeja State Police Headquarters to investigate rising cases of kidnapping in Lagos. To my surprise, the Police PRO took me into a room filled with dusty files without a single computer in sight. I left frustrated and shocked at the level of decay.
During the End SARS protests, improving police welfare and conditions was part of the demands raised by protesters. But the Buhari administration ignored those demands, and the Inspector General at the time did little to pursue meaningful reform.
In addition, after several police stations were attacked, looted and destroyed during the End SARS protests, the Buhari government had the opportunity to draw from emergency funds to rebuild and rehabilitate those facilities. Many of the damaged stations and operational vehicles could have been replaced quickly to restore morale and effectiveness within the force, but that urgency was absent. The Buhari administration showed little commitment to addressing the destruction, and the Inspector General of Police at the time also appeared unconcerned. Years later, many of those stations still remain in poor condition, further exposing how neglected the police institution has become.
While holding police officers accountable, Nigerians should also demand accountability from the federal government. Perhaps the federal government is carrying more than it can effectively manage. State governments should take over policing within their territories and spend the so called “security votes” on actual security.
These officers are fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, brothers and sisters. They are members of our communities too. The government must urgently reform the police, improve welfare packages and create conditions that restore dignity to the job. Truthfully, many of us condemning them would not survive two hours living in some of the barracks these officers and their families endure daily.
I recently watched a video of an ASP threatening to kill anyone who records him while on duty. His conduct was completely unprofessional. But he also showed scars on his body. Was he psychologically evaluated? Was he rehabilitated?
In the United States, after a shooting incident, officers are often removed from active duty until cleared by mental health professionals. Does anything close to that exist within the Nigerian Police system?
These are uncomfortable questions, but they must be asked if we truly want reform and not just outrage.
Africanreporter 
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