The Price of Policing in Nigeria, Even Angels Dread Working in Nigeria

written by Mazi Odera Igbo (POg)

I waited with my Hands Akimbo, my mind in tumoil, my patience tested with Elastic bands, all this while I waited for Nigerians to realize we have misjudged the Police, to realize we have been inhuman to them, realize that we left a Corrupt System and place our annoyance on few Men and Women who we sent to Battle field to wrestle Goliath with Catapult and Sand clays. Waited for Nigerians to say “WE ARE WRONG AND SORRY”..

The reason it was legendary in the story with David is because it is Mission impossible, and God allowed it just because he wants to do DIVINE INTRODUCTION of the Lad called David. Rest that, one can say REPEAT such approach is outright Stupidity and Suicidal.

Nigerian Police are the Worst paid, not even the least paid in the World, sorry scratch it, they are not the worst paid in the World, but worst paid since creation, not even Satan’s Agent will accept the service conditions of our Police..

As much as Police have pissed me off severally, including arresting me for Civil issue, transport me like a GOAT for over 500 Miles, I wasn’t angry with them because I know there is chain of command and they are compelled by many factors to do what they shouldn’t do in a better circumstance..

Come with me as We walk the path of a Policeman..

The training for a Policeman is 6 months and he is unleashed to the Public..leaning survival, self preservation on the Job.. Without assurance that something may jump out in the line of work and makes them a success…

1) There is no Barracks or official accommodation given, so from the get go, the new Officer is expected to Pay his rent.. Pay NEPA outrageous Bill, Pay Street security fees and other bills that run around places of resident.

2) The Salary of a DSP is lower than a Retainer a Member of Federal house will give to his Girl friend whose job is to Sleep with the Man in a protected House, under lock and key, while the Police man is expected to sleep in the Open, go to Hot, dangerous spots and battle Holigans, they move out with Guns Bought during the days of DR NNAMDI AZIKIWE in a more eleborate discuss such can be called Antiquated Guns, and they will face Robbers who have latest Guns and other armaments in the World, don’t forget that the Police have only 6 Months of tartered training, then with food he ate once a day, so he can save enough to be hungry the next day.. We want him to be up and doing and we still have guts to call them incompetent.

3) We second them to go and secure this looters in Federal House, many of them waiting on them, never slept in a Hotel Room, but outside or in a Car and there is no provision in Cash to argument the suffering, then we want them to keep awake and battle any threat that arises.

4) 90% of Police are married and have Children, the salary we pay them can’t even hold the Police personal for one week, add Children to the equation, add wife, then tell me how on this Earth can they survive and be able to make use of the Gun to battle Robbers?

5) Can somebody with good command of economic variation educate me on how Police can manage to put food on the table of a family even with Bribes and all, then make a savings of any sought, we are not adding buying of clothing, paying school fees, giving even unbalanced diet to the family, because I know the salary including the Bribes they take can’t even feed a state legislooters Girl friend or boy friend.

Why not take a little from the Rich Legislooters pocket, they shall never be angry and put Same in the wallet of the Police, so they can have something that resemble Salary?..

We want affective Policing , but we don’t want a paid Police.

But today is not about the above, it is about the atrocity committed against the Police during the end Sars, they were humiliated, they were beaten and many hacked to death.. I don’t know why they killed them, but I felt if the Police shot at the protesters, like I said, they had only 6 Months initial epileptic training, no follow up, no training on how to curb riot, I don’t think they are trained or equipped with Rubber bullets, so facing a death invasion of Mobs, many will panic and think that shooting will scare the Mob, but because they lack training, they shoot to escape with Nozzle facing wrong direction and instead of just scaring, it ends life..

Why burning the Corpse and why cutting off the head?.. This is no longer anger but cold hearted man slaughter..

Now the entire Police are off the streets, with Arms well placed at the hands of this Hoodlums, let’s just watch how this Christmas will be, I can assure us that, our lives can’t be the same..

So I appeal to residents, especially where POLICE STATIONS were burned, to Levy each building and rebuild them all, the Billionaires living around should come in big and build them another, that way when next any group of Idiots comes around, the community will rise to defend it because it is public property.

I want this to start in Anambara, as we are the light of the Nation and during Yuletide, the number of Police assigned to Anambra big boys are more than many states can boast off..

The legislators will enact a Law, sorry that is waste of time, they should cut out from all the allowances to pay the families of the dead Cops good money to give them closure that the Child, Father, Husband did not die in vain.

State Governors should give all the injured Police and death ones good compensation from Security Votes given to them Monthly, Infact give them over 20% of that..

The Billionaires should raise Funds that will bring back confidence on our Police…

We may not know the Value our Police has until, if they stayed off the street till Christmas, the carnage will be unprecedented.

Police is not our friend in the true sense, but they command some kind of security around us, plus nobody enters Police in Nigeria because there is passion, so we should encourage them by showing them a little Love…

I am Mazi Odera POg JP, Last Born Mpa Nnukwu and I speak for posterity..