The Nigerian Constitution, Police Act and several other legal instruments provide for the function of the Nigerian Police Force. Most of these functions, though socially-noticed, are considered to be a mirage when analysing the activities of the Nigerian Police in recent times.
Tracing the establishment of the Nigerian Police in 1930, and critically examining the reason for her establishment, which is synonymous to what one could call “an agency of government established for the oppression of the poor”. The Nigerian Police was then established as an arm of government to enforce the payment of Tax by the citizens.
This duty of Tax enforcement has now metamorphosed into a bigger kind of oppression and victimization of the population they are meant to secure and protect.
We need not to historicize the numbers of police brutality situations that have happened in recent times. Visibly, an evidential consequence of police brutality and indiscriminate shootings is the October 2020 and the EndSars Saga. What is required at this time is to analyse its implications on achieving sustainable peace and tranquility in our country.
Categorically, an average Nigerian youth is neither interested in any conversation that relates with the police, nor are they interested in associating with anything that has to do with them. The reason is not far-fetched, the frequent unlawful arrest, police high-handedness, extortion, extra-judicial killings, and many other unprofessional conduct of the police necessitated this attitude.
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Societal- wise, an average Nigerian Family is not totally disposed to their children or family members joining the police force. Though many joined due to the spate of unemployment and underemployment in the country, many still believe that the Police society is capable of turning a good man otherwise.
It is generally believed that there is a Police culture, which is of negative consequences, that whoever is enlisted into the force must adhere to. The conversation around police brutality is gradually becoming a norm in our society that if not checked, is capable of setting the entire nation ablaze.
The conduct of the Nigerian police and some of her officers seems to be vindicating the Socialist Theory of Karl Marx that postulates that, the police and the entire instrument of the law is to oppress the poor and the disadvantaged. Practically, most citizens of Nigeria had one time or the other had an unpleasant experience with an officer of the police force.
The unprofessional conduct of some of their officers has made citizens lose faith and trust in them. A society lacking in trust and cohesion is synonymous to a jungle. For sustainable peace to thrive and for communal harmony to exist, the unpleasant issue of police brutality needs to be tackled head-on.
The Government and the police institution must be honestly ready to savage the situation and redeem the lost glory of the force. Only then can we be having the conversation around sustainable peace.
One thing we must remember and acknowledge is the population of the youth. In the face of frustration, the underfunded and undertrained Nigerian Police may not be able to adequately tackle the confrontation of the youths in the face of un-wanting provocation, and this may lead into another acrimony that is not desired.
All security outfits, particularly the police force must be ready to enshrine and enforce the culture of civility and uphold professionalism in their conduct. They should remember they left to join the Force from a community which they swore to protect and secure. Killing innocent Nigerian, unlawful arrest, extortion, bribery and many other unprofessional conducts are not expected to be a normal attitude they are known for in this 21st Century.
Save for extreme emergency situations, the availability of arms needs to be sanely regulated. This will mitigate their brutality to some extent, even though it may not be a permanent solution to the menace. It is also not commonsensical to immediately give arms to new police recruits, proper orientation must be readily available for them.
It is equally important to evaluate the recruitment criteria and the quality of the training given to the police recruits. As it takes a longer year to qualify as a medical practitioner to be able to save lives, it is rather ironic that to qualify to carry arms takes only a deficient six months training. It will not be out of place to insist that training not only on how to use arms, but also on human rights must be given to the police personnel.
It is high time they stopped this show of shame and strive to walk into the dignified hall of fame, by exhibiting sanity in the conduct of their affairs. They must understand that, every man is born innocent, the society corrupts them, as they in turn corrupt the society. That every man is a product of the society they live in. An unbalanced, brutally-oppressive and blood-sucking society is meant to produce uncompassionate citizens.
The end of police brutality is long overdue, and every stakeholder should stop paying lip service to the conversation and act in the direction that is expected. It is my hope that in the nearest time possible, we will have a Nigerian Police Force that is worthy in conduct and character.
Opeyemi Oladimeji, LL.B, MSc, is a Doctoral Student of Peace and Conflict Studies at the Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute, Osun State University, Osogbo.
