One government institution that has been predominantly in the eyes of public glare is the Nigerian Police Force.
No doubts, many have tasted from the sour grapes these “men in black” have to offer while only a handful few have good news about them.
One of the major characteristics of a friend is the fact that such a person has your best interest at heart. Nonetheless,the “police are your friend” motto is seemingly negating what has been obtained over the years from the conducts of policemen.
Naij.com collected opinions from a few average Nigerians on what they truly feel about the Nigerian Police.
Police is not our friend. A lot of times they infringe on our fundamental rights by forcing suspects to make untrue statements about an incident. I wonder where the police were taught that everyone who carries a laptop without receipt is a yahoo yahoo suspect.
– Lekan Akinnibosun, Engineer
Most of our officers are untruthful.They will only attend to you after you have paid them.They engage in unnecessary raids just to extort young people. Police is not our friend.
– Funmilola, Business Developer
I went to a Police Children School and “police are your friend” was our slogan but personally, I do not like them; they are not our friends. I don’t take some routes that I know could run into them and If I have to, it is with prayers. When you have an international number on your phone it is a crime.They believe every guy on the street smoke weed or is into some shady deals. They just harrass people unnecessarily. Is checking a citizen’s phone part of the job speculations of a policeman?
– Jerry, Student
The sweet decays ,enjoyable ugliness and the unbridled corrupt ways of life of our policemen across the country is alarming! What can you say to the person who is supposed to enforce the law but who is the very person seen on the throne of lawlessness? It saddens. It is shameful. Pose the “are the police truly your friend” question to Nigerians and most are quick to say a stern NO! and even cite ugly examples adding that it is only when they would get paid, that they carry out their duties.
It is a common belief that most of our officers do not know what Force is all about. Most of these officers are “half-baked” educated fellows who do not know what the constitution says about their job descriptions; they only know on the surface, few out of the many things expected from them.
Truth be told, the various insurbodinations from policemen ranging from power drunkeness, abuse of office, incompetence, to the good-cop-bad-cop syndrome, egunje bloodline and simply lack of intergrity are all not to be taken lightly. But shall we blame a newborn baby that came to earth few months after his brother was given birth to instead of the mother who allowed the pleasures that come with childbearing blindfold her to keep dishing out babies like an industrial oven will do to a bread?
A re-orientation is undoubtedly needed. Also, training and a good fore-knowledge of the codes of conducts and what the institution stands for, need to be compulsorily added to the process of recruiting fresh officers into the system.
Has the police ever been your friend?
– by Adams Odunayo
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