“The police is not established to cause disorder but to prevent, maintain and enforce law and order”
………Okoye, Chuka Peter.
The last anniversary of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both adopted in 1966, provided an opportune moment for some of us in this era to review the progress and compliance level of the Nigerian state on the issue of human rights promotion and examine her overall effectiveness in protecting human rights as enshrined in the aforesaid treaties which she is a signatory to.
Outcome of the said review according to some notable Human Rights organizations’ 2022 end-of-the-year reports, indicates that our level of compliance and progress is nothing to write home about. Thus, arouses a very big concern about the existence of our democratic system, especially when narrowed down to the performance of the Police thereto, being the most important security outfit no nation can exist without.
In every nation, the police is charged with the task of law enforcement which is policing. The Oxford and Collins English Dictionary defines policing as ‘the maintenance of law and order by a police force’ and ‘the activities carried out by police officers in order to preserve law and order’ respectively. With these definitions in mind, one cannot but ask if Nigerian Police officers are truly fulfilling the task of maintaining law and order, or do they somehow, sometimes cause disorder in the society? This is a question that should be answered by each individual after an appraisal of the conduct of the police force so far.
However, the central objective of policing is to provide security, or at least a social and psychological feeling of security, for a majority of citizens, in a majority of places for most of the time. And this central objective is a summary of the following sub-objectives, which are prerequisites to that of security:
To prevent, control and combat criminality wherever and by whomever necessary;
To maintain public order and peace; to render assistance and service to all citizens needing or requiring security; and
To favourably symbolise the government by always upholding the rule of law.
Over the years, a lot has been said with reference to the unethical conduct of some officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) including their institution’s non-adherence to international best practices which negates their realistic attainment of the said objective, operational guidelines as could be found in Police Act, 2020 and other extant laws. Regrettably, the sad narrative of the NPF seems to be getting worse as the day goes by. To the extent that they are now assumed to be the masses enemy contrary to what it should be and also a contradiction to their slogan which states, “The Police is Your Friend”. However, the truth remains that “the Police is your Friend” and an important one indeed, with the fact that no criminal or men of the underworld could ever treat you better. Although there is an urgent need to make the said friendship robust in order to entrench a wholesome society because security is everybody’s business.
Unfortunately, I have recorded several absurd attacks on the citizenry perpetrated by the NPF, especially the atrocious crime meted out to a community somewhere in Aba, Abia State, which has been categorised as a State-sponsored mass atrocity. State-sponsored mass atrocity could be defined as ‘large-scale’ systematic crime, attack or violence or all inhuman treatments on the civilian population by the state actors or their agents, intentionally perpetrated to cause great suffering, serious injury to the body and mental health or property. Two of these attacks which I was privileged to follow-up, took place in Ndiegoro community of Aba, precisely at Degema/Okojumbo Street, in September, 2019 and Iheorji area in January, 2023, respectively.
Allegedly, properties worth more than 10billion naira were destroyed and looted at the aforesaid places by the Police officers in Aba, especially the ones stationed at Ndiegoro Police Division. Also some innocent inhabitants of the said areas were unlawfully arrested en-masse, detained, tortured, sexually abused and compelled to pay nothing less than fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00) each for bail, while few others died in custody/became victims of enforced-disappearance. These and other inhumane conducts being exhibited in Aba by the police is only increasing the masses mistrust of the NPF and the government in general which could lead to an unimaginable public disorder (another EndSars), if nothing seriously is done to stop the said police brutality. Could you believe that in course of my duty as a Human Rights Defender, I have been intimidated, threatened, assaulted and walked out of the said Ndiegoro Police Division on gun point in the past and recently by so called Inspector Nicol, (still in search of his real identity for onward legal engagement) who also instructed me never to visit the said Division again. Is it not actually absurd, archaic and barbaric to still have our police officers operate in such unethical manner in this 21st century?
Nevertheless, It is very important to note that the dismal image of the NPF accounts for the non-cooperation by the public, who are often reluctant to volunteer useful information to the Police. Yet, the task of crime prevention and detection as well as prosecution of offenders cannot be successfully performed without the cooperation of the public. The Police exist to serve the people. It is therefore important that police activities should be people-oriented and reflect public interest. Their activities should meet the expectations of the people, whom they serve. This is the way by which the police can win the critical public support that they so much need for effectiveness and efficiency. Without the support of the people, police work will be unbearable, tedious and hazardous.
Other allegations generally leveled against the police officers include arbitrariness in the exercise of their powers to arrest and prosecute corruption and perversion of justice, use of crude techniques of investigation, collusion with criminals and incessant cases of accidental discharge of lethal bullet. In addition to the complaints earlier referred to, there are institutional constraints, which contribute to the uncomplimentary image of the institution and thereby undermining their capacity to deliver efficient crime control and policing services. These include inadequate manpower, lack of expertise, lack of adequate equipment, low level of education, low morale, shabby appearance, lack of training facilities and poor conditions of service of the average policeman.
Although, it would be quite unjust to end this article without appreciating the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for their dogged efforts so far in fighting crime, not minding their shortcomings, numerous challenges and unmet needs. I also wish to commend this administration led by President Mohammadu Buhari for passing into law the 2020 Police Act, while stating that it is high time the government looked into the raised issues and take cogent actions to correct the anomalies, punish the officers and Divisions found culpable, conduct intensive behavioral and attitudinal re-orientation, and Periodic psychological tests of the officers, and compensate victims of police brutality especially victims of state-sponsored mass atrocity narrated above, in order to facilitate the entrenchment of a well policed society and stop the occurrence of another EndSars.
Written by: Okoye, Chuka Peter, an Abia State based civil society actor, the Executive Director of Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) and the co-convener of Abia Civil Society Network (ACSON).
