CORRUPTION AND THE NIGERIAN POLICE

           IS ANYONE REALLY SAFE?

The Nigerian Police is not the beacon of safety and security it’s supposed to be. Regularly on the high way we are supposed to have police checkpoints where they randomly check your particulars, stop overloaded vehicles to prevent accidents, check suspicious drivers to prevent things like drunk driving and prevent the smuggling of  illegal materials. But, due the high level of corruption plaguing the Nigerian Police force, these simple acts to be carried out to maintain security have instead been turned towards more lucrative ends.

Strategically placed road checkpoints have become centers for illegal transactions between police officers and road users (usually taxi and bus drivers). All the above mentioned acts to maintain security and protect the lives of road users are only carried out if the driver is unable to meet the required “Toll fees” at any of these checkpoints.

In cases where the driver is actually a criminal offender, all he or she would have to do is pay the required fee and be on his merry way; free to wreak havoc, or spread his illegal goods as he pleases. All they need is something like N200 or more and they are good to go.

The “Protective” activities of the Nigerian police force have also been felt by those outside the country on several occasions. One of such events happened recently.

On the 23^rd of June, 2017, Ibraheema Yakubu, a German news correspondent, was sent to the north western city of Kaduna. The purpose of his visit was to cover a rally that was to take place there; instead he was beaten by police officers and taken into custody.

“Police officers apparently beat him to obtain a forced confession from him that he belonged to the Shiite group of protesters” said the German broadcaster reporting the case. It was on the basis of his “confession” that they arrested him and put him in jail, without proper trial I might add, though that is the general standard of justice in most cases in Nigeria.

“We are asking you to take the necessary steps to hold the police officers involved accountable,” the broadcaster continued in his address to the Nigerian authorities. 

“Also, we demand that the release on bail of our correspondent be rescinded immediately and that all charges against him be dropped.”

The statement given by the German broadcaster and the actions of the Nigerian Police force against their correspondent are just exhibitions of the fact that not only Nigerian citizens are affected by the activities of their police force. The greed and corruption of our protectors extends even to those visiting from outside our borders. This begs the question, Is anyone really safe?