'Whose police? the high class? middle class or low class?

The Nigeria Police Insignia

‘ police is your friend!’... thus reads the popular police mantra in Nigeria; however, even a stranger to the Nigerian experience can observe the wanton hatred, mistrust and indifference that exists between the ordinary Nigerian Citizenry and the Nigeria police.

Across the hierarchy of the Nigerian citizenry, police escorts are a common sight among top government functionaries and the High class cadre of the society. The rest are seen strewn around road blocks on the highways, barracks and police stations around the country.

A few years back, a top ranking Nigeria police official did make an analysis that of the over 300,000 thousand strong Nigeria Police force,  about a100,000 are attached to top Government functionaries and members of the high class while the rest citizenry is policed by 2/3rds of the force (‘a statement of underpolicing’). The question now is whose police is the Nigeria police force? The High class and top government functionaries or the ordinary citizenry or both?

Across the Nigerian security paraphenelia which includes the State Security Service(SSS); the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); the Defence Intelligence Agency(DIA); The Nigeria Armed forces (Army, Airforce and Navy); the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); the Nigeria Police force is the one that has day to day dealings with the populace. To this effect, it holds to its creed ‘a reverence for all human life, safeguarding the guarantees of the Nigerian constitution as its modus operandi. Indeed, the police is the embodiment of the law; it is the Nigerian Constitution in person.

As the largest peopled and cultural diverse black nation on the planet, the question of security allegiances begs the question in a religious, cultural and ethnic diverse nation like Nigeria. Severally, the question of who provides the best security to the citizenry has been argued with the adventure of ethno-militia groups like the (OPC, Egbesu boys, Bakassi boys etc), Political god fathers and mothers, religious figures (whether pastors, traditionalist or Imams) or even private security outfits. At what point does the roles of these unstately security outfits conflict with that of the state? Obviously both the government and the ordinary citizenry are at a loss to answer.

As Nigerians, you don’t need to be told that you need your personal security back up. An industrialist once remarked that in Nigeria, everyone is a personal government in that everyone/household provides electricity, security, water and in some cases have to maintain neighbourhood roads! Of all social issues, security is germane in the minds of everyone especially with the wave of Kidnappings, terrorist attacks, armed robbery, among all other social ills. The police force was specifically set up to tackle this but a loopholed performance by the force has caused the ordinary Nigerian citizenry to resort to other means of protection.

As Nigeria grapples with wanton security challenges, a call for state/community has been argued for in some quarters. Whatever the case is, it is clear that the police cannot be successful in achieving their mission without the involvement of the people they serve. Crime solving is not only the police’s problem; it is every citizen’s problem. Indeed, a functional middle class is key to achieving community policing sucess, for logic makes it clear that it is better to prevent a crime than to put resources into motion when the deed has already been done. Such operational responses will result in an improved quality of life and a reduction in the fear that is generated by both the reality and perception of crime especially among the ordinary citizenry (lower and middle class).

Talking about the Nigeria Police and crime, the incessant news of them being outgunned in action raises a cause for suspicion. Something must be wrong somewhere! Or how else can one explain the proliferation of light and medium weaponry in the wrong hands? Of all the department of the Nigeria police force, the 'D' Department (Force Criminal Investigation department) has in its tasks the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), X-Squad, Special Fraud Unit, Foriensic science, Anti-Human trafficking et al, and if their responsiblities are charged to the limits, the crime rate in Nigeria would be abated in no small measure. A proper utilization of security sophistication mordern technology affords in the feild of intelligence gathering through CCTV’s and foriensic technology will help the police abate crime in no small measure.

It should be noted that the personalization of the National security paraphenelia (especially the Nigeria Police) by the Nigerian gentry is detrimental to the social fabric of Nigeria.

A situation where every government functionary ranging Ministers, Special Advisers, commissioners, permanent secretaries and even at times their relatives have at least 2 police escorts, is dealing a fatal blow to the Nigerian societal fabric. With an already poverty stricken majority lower class an almost non existent middle class and the all sufficient upper class, the Nigeria police risks being completely overwhelmed with security challenges and turned to a ‘mere private security outfit’. The Nigeria Police Force must live up to its task of providing security for the entire Nigerian citizenry and not for the Nigerian gentry alone.