*THE OPEN MENACE OF POLICE OFFICERS IN FRONT OF NIGERIAN POLICE HEADQUARTERS, BENDE ROAD, UMUAHIA,ABIA AND SHAME OF POLICING* .
When an abomination endures for a season it becomes a culture. There are pains people pass through but can’t speak out because either they lack courage out of fears or lack knowledge of whom to report to. Some of us have endured the pains, anger, humiliation and degradation of Abia citizens perpetrated by policemen deployed in front of the Abia State Command, Umuahia. These men operate with full alacrity and without conscience not minding that the Commissioner’s office is directly opposite their operational base. They fear nothing and will tell you that they don’t have anything to do with the Commissioner (I don’t know the veracity of that). Some don’t even understand basic communication in English language.
They block the road heading to Bende and allow motorists to manage one substandard lane and yet blocked it for checks. Checks? Noooooo…. For collection of N50 from ALL keke riders.
It has become a norm that the motorists and keke people are reduced to conquered people. Yes, conquered people. Conquered persons are people whose compliance, love, etc, have been won over *by seduction or force of personality.* These are citizens whose option of survival is simply by obedience to whatever that’s thrown at them forcefully without question. The motorists are terrified because of the way some even hold their guns unprofessionally while asking for *their money.* Some dress in shameful manner looking bushy, unkempt, wearing off coloured uniforms, adorning neckless and bangles while on duty that people sometimes question if they are truly policemen. This position was further reinforced when one of them got angry as an ex officer told him “esprit de corp.” He knew not the meaning. He couldn’t decode the meaning of DPO until his colleague took him aside to explain. Are we in same nation?
A breakdown of revenue at that spot shows that not less than 4000 keke people make return trips on that road alone. At N50, it’s about N200,000 a day and 30 days is about N6,000,000.00/month. This is the amount that poor men and young boys are parting with daily and monthly under the nose of the Commissioner as the Chief Police Officer of Abia State. You can’t find this pathetic and unacceptable acts in Enugu, Lagos, Kaduna , Kano and why Abia?
*IMPLICATIONS*
1. People are fed up with that. People are secretly complaining. Ndi Abia is silently and certainly bleeding from such reckless economic fraud and recklessness. Cluster groups may be forming and revolt is imminent. The police hierarchy must end that show of shame immediately. Abians must never be taken for granted.
The policemen and authorities must decide if the men are extension of police revenue unit or strictly for security operations. Those men there are complete disgrace to the force. No one is against presence of security operatives but using the spot as revenue centre mindlessly must be discontinued. Am aware that it’s not in line with Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba concept of people friendly and proactive policing.
2. Another operational implication is that of complacency and being off guard. When attention is on the accruing revenue there’s no way you can be on 100% alert to proactively reply in event of attack. The enemies you are sent to attack will simply overrun you easily right in front of you with the bait of N50.
3. Furthermore, they do not even engage in stop and search. They search nothing. They only search inner pockets. Chances are that criminals will capitalize on such monetary mindset and be having field days ferrying arms and contrabands.
4. The level of extortion going on at that spot has made police anti-people and complete enemies to the policed. It has automatically defeated the concept of Community Policing which is people oriented policing. One of the major pillars of Community Policing which is TRUST have been raped. Community based policing cannot be achieved. It’s trust that make people to participate in Community Policing. Where is the trust. It’s a moral burden on NPF.
5. The most painful implication is that the day the victims will arise to challenge this onslaught, the story may be told with tears. It’s getting to breaking point and I can assure us that the momentum is gathering. On that day, the bullets cannot stop the reversed madness of the people… Enough of complete siege on the Masses. Power belongs to the people and not the police wearing uniforms produced from tax payers money.
6. Some of these condemnable act put some of us in very tight situation to keep defending, projecting and providing for the police. It widens the gap between police and policed.
*CHALLENGE* :
This daily and exalted robbery (because they are armed) has been on since last year. If not armed, Ndi Abia will resist them but there’s a limit to every madness armed or unarmed.
This is taking place right now as you read this and you will witness it if you go there NOW…. They can’t STOP until they are stopped.
I therefore challenge the *IGP* Monitoring Team to go there *ANYTIME* and witness the rot.
Granted that Force PRO said that citizens are free to snap officers on duty but it can’t work here. Sir, it’s licence to kill. Those men there are not aware of that Press Release. Anyone that attempts to snap them will be immediately confined to six feet. AIG Zone 9 can go on covert operation and see things for himself. We are determined to help the IGP Usman Alkali Buba succeed but not under this elevated extortion scenario.
The set of policemen that have been on that road since last year should be removed. Well trained and briefed people oriented police officers should take over. Abians have had enough of that.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Southeast Geography Region, DIG Ogbonnaya Amadi must end this social and professional disorder in Umuahia, Abia State. You’re a fine Officer and it will be to your credit if you do Sir.
Abia State government officials that use that road to Okuta, Isieke, Bende, Abam, Ohafia, Arochukwu etc cannot dispute these facts. It’s even worrisome that our Representatives in State and Federal Assemblies compulsorily use that road. I therefore call on Hon Ben Kalu, Hon Uko Nkole, Hon Mike Ukoha Hon Chijioke, Hon Apugo etc to help bring this undeserved punishment to a halt.
*Mazi Dr Agodi Kanu is a writer, author and Security Consultant.*
