This is not an opinion piece or an open letter to the Inspector General of Police, this is a rant. A rant because crime in Lagos is taking on massive proportions as the men in black or Nigerian police force as they prefer to be addressed continue their reckless bribe taking in neglect of their official duties – to protect, and to serve.
Last week, a young Disc Jockey was shot down in his prime on Bank Olemoh street in Surulere, and only yesterday two brothers were killed in Surulere, apparently the victims of an assassination. In addition to the hit, a pregnant woman was struck and killed by a stray bullet. Now I wonder, how long will the Nigerian police continue their egunge taking habits whilst all the while neglecting the people they are supposed to protect and to serve? Mr. IG, how long?
Every day and night in Lagos, there are myriad of police checkpoints scattered across the metropolis where these policemen or mafia as I prefer to call them gather to hoodwink, extort or plead with motorists out of cash sums varying from N50 to N5000 and above. I, personally, have been harassed by these bloodsuckers and it wasn’t a palatable experience.
Mr. IG, please do something to clean up our streets! When you resumed office, it seemed you were eager to reform the police and in the first few months there were noticeable improvements especially due to outlawing the checkpoints. Now its back to business as usual. Even after the country and president was shamed by the state of the police barracks in Ikeja, little to nothing has been done to improve the livelihood and welfare of the police officers across the country.
Usually when armed robbers attack, the police flee. If they don’t flee, then they hide, or simply remove their uniforms. However they put the same uniforms back on when it is time to beg, extort and harass innocent civilians in full public glare. It is not too difficult to apprehend and discipline erring officers, however there seems to be no will from the IG to do so. So the corruption within the rank and file continues and that is indeed a testament to the corruption at the top.
Oga IG, when will this nonsense stop?