5 Crazy things Nigeria police must stop in 2017
It is sad to note that so many criminals have got
away scot-free just by handing police men, a
hundred naira note. There cannot be a
restoration of law and order if the police does
not redeem its image by refusing to accept
bribes. For only then, can the people fear and
respect them, as to obey and never flout the law.
5. Stop claiming staff
This is one shameful practice that men of the
police force must shun, it does not speak well of
them, especially after they must have taxed the
bus drivers and conductors, having them to pay
for what one cannot account for.
Policemen should be more honorable, they must
be ready to pay what is due as regards fare, and
if the bus operators want to be kind to them,
then so be it.
There is no how they can earn respect, if they
keep on seeking for favors, they must take pride
in paying for services render, even as the
government is urged to pay policemen that
which is due and sufficient to keep them doing
their jobs with utmost professionalism.
Too many cases of police misbehavior are
encountered on almost a daily basis, only
recently, a photographer, Praise-Legend
Onwuachu, said he had to resort to grabbing and
holding on to the gun of a policeman, who was
about to shoot him while conducting a search on
him and his friends on Monday, December 26.
5 Crazy things Nigeria police must stop in 2017
Onwuachu, who explained that he was on his
way back from covering an event on Boxing Day,
had driven from Owerri, Imo State to Onitsha,
Anambra State without incident, until he got to
Nkpor Junction and encountered a team of
policemen.
He said a member of the team asked him if he
had a tinted glass permit, which he said he had
and was trying to retrieve the document as he
sat in his car when one of them became angry,
asking, “So, you don’t want to come down?”
Onwuachu said: “I told him I wanted to get the
document he asked for before alighting from my car.
Already angry, (it seemed he was angry and drunk before
stopping us), he asked all of us (five men) in the car to come
down for a search.
“We complied and he started with the man in front, he
searched the boys with me and harassed them, making
derogatory statements as he searched them.”
According to Onwuachu who owns a media
outfit, one of his friends decided to leave after he
had been searched. He said the young man went
to the boot to pick his bag when the policeman
told him to bring it for a search.
“He told the policeman to search it so he could go. At this
point, things escalated. The policeman started calling him
an animal and several other names.
“I decided to come in at that point. I told him in the most
polite and gentle manner that there was no reason to get
agitated and abusive, because we had obeyed his orders. My
intervention seemed to worsen the situation as he said he
had every right to call him an animal for as long as he
wanted.”
He explained that the policeman became
aggressive and pushed the man by the throat, at
which point he made the decision to step
between the policeman and his friend, telling the
policeman to stop the assault.
“I must admit, my voice wasn’t gentle at this point, but
whose voice would be in the face of such violence? He then
shifted his attention to me and a lot happened within
minutes. He first slapped me, then held me by my throat. I
pushed his hands away from my throat and that infuriated
him the more.
“Immediately I pushed his hands away, shouting that I
dared touch him, he released the safety catch of his rifle,
and pointed it at me to shoot.
“In self-defence, and not having the luxury of time, I hit the
muzzle of the rifle away from me and went for his gun to
stop him, as he seemed hell bent on shooting.
“As we fought for the gun, all his colleagues came and it
was a competition of who was gonna ‘cork’ his gun fast
enough. Thankfully, the crowd that had gathered got
involved and physically held them from shooting. With
more people involved and the threat of shooting gone, they
continued their assault, hitting me and the other guy with
their guns, kicking, punching and slapping us. They left me
barely able to walk to my car, I still limp as I type this.”
He said he took the action, which many might
interpret as stupid because he did not want to
join the statistics of police victims.
Onwuachu identified some of the policemen
involved in the incident as Umoh Aniekan, Okoi
Okoi, Ekechi Jacob, Inspector Kanu.
It was gathered that harassment in that junction
by the men stationed there, said to be mobile
policemen from the MOPOL 3 unit in Enugu, was
nothing new.
Onwuachu told newsmen that he had reported
the case to the Police Complaints Response Unit
but had received no reply or indication that the
case would be investigated.