Nigeria Police Force

Members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria in Oyo state have called on relevant authorities to look into the financial records of the association.

The members made this call in a press statement.

''We have reported their conduct to the Inspector General of Police who has promptly directed investigations by FCID, Alagbon Lagos on the matter.The fact of the matter is that, Mr. Alade Bashir Lawal and his partners were reported to the police for suspected fraud of monumental proportion and mismanagement of the union’s finance and resources. On the basis of the complaint the Inspector General of Police directed the Force CID to investigate the criminal allegations and the petition by the union’s President, Comrade Innocent Bola-Audu.The Commissioner of Police Lagos was also directed by the IGP to provide security in the Secretariat to ensure no breakdown of law and order, and in order to prevent the suspects in the case from tampering with evidence materials that may be needed in police investigations. The Union is bleeding and needs immediate resuscitation to survive, because a massive damage has been done to its resources, assets and manpower.Therefore, there is work to be done. As, you may already be aware that some arrests were made in the Union by Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) of the Nigeria Police, Alagbon Lagos on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police on Thursday August 4, 2022,'' the statement concluded.

A large number of law enforcement and security personnel have for long ignored their primary duites and rather become involved wioth happenings in the political sphere in Nigeria.

The motivating factor revolves around money, influence and greed, even though the authorities are fully aware of this unfortunate development.

Indeed, the chequered mindset of these set of professionals in uniform has resulted in a major set back in the unending battle to put a stop to insecurity in the land.

Sadly, over the years, nepotism, favoritism and mediocrity have ensured that unqualified persons infiltrate the law enforcement and security servcies.

This is reflected in the avoidable acts of commission and ommission in countless number of engagments whioch have defied all known procedures oif professional practice.

Note- The non-state actors at the center of violnet crimes in Nigeria today are all products of those who are obssessed with power. Those-in-Power ought to have a recipe to end the crimes against humanity.

There is widespread discontentment across Nigeria, against the postponement of the Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and the  State Houses of Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) .

Nigerians are fully convinced that there is a lot of foul play, regardless of the reasons put forward by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

Interestingly, the Minister of State for Aviation,  Sirika Hadi insisted that the INEC Chairman's claim that bad weather contributed to the postponement of the general elections, was a lie, while stressing that airports across the country were directed to remain open round the clock.

Before the eventual postponement, Nigerians were subjected to funny treatment by INEC staff, in their bid to register and  collect their Permanent Voters Cards(PVC) in several parts of the country.

Sadly, a large population of Nigerians are yet to collect their PVCs , just as INEC  has refused to make public the total number of PVCs that have been collected by prospective voters nationwide.

Of note, is the fact that Prof. Yakubu has admitted that the Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) for the Niger East Senatorial District of Niger state,  Mohammed  Sani Musa, was a registered contractor with the commission.

Musa's company, Activate Technologies, is responsible for the supply of the machines that INEC used to print the PVCs.

Even though Prof. Yakubu asserted that all is well, this is far from the truth, considering unfolding events that has made it very glaring that the electoral process has been compromised.

Of great worry, is that fact that the INEC headquarters has recalled all the Smart Card Readers(SCR) from all its state offices in the country. Why ?

  This is the reality of the present time.

The electoral process had long been designed to suit the wishes of the ''POWERS THAT BE''  and the postponement was just a face saving strategy.

Most members of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) recruited as Ad hoc staff by the electoral umpire, had earlier on influenced their NYSC postings to choice states, while a negligible number of those who were lucky to be recruited by INEC, were stranded on the day of the postponed elections.

They had no accommodation, the commission did not release their allowances and most of them were unable to locate the polling units they were posted to.

In the Oyo state office of INEC, a day before the postponed  general elections, Journalists and Observers were sighted  in business centres making frantic efforts to laminate their passport photographs on the  papers, officials of INEC gave  to them as accreditation.

Sadly, these papers might have got into the hands of individuals who have perfected same for an unknown agenda, although the commission received adequate funds to  facilitate a convincing accreditation exercise for Journalists and Observers.

A Lagos Lawyer argued that it was illegal for the Acting Inspector General to restrict the movement of people and vehicles during elections.

The action of the Acting Inspector General might have made the electorate to lose confidence in the system.

Also disturbing, is the issue of the head of the electoral body donning the face cap with the logo and colours of the ruling party in a Television documentary.

Top politicians, speaking incognito, argue that the letter the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami wrote to the commission, requesting for the postponement of elections  in Zamafara state and the lingering crisis in the ruling party's Rivers state chapter, contributed to the sudden decision of the umpire to shift the date of the general elections.

Indeed, the decision of the commission to resort to postponement is a demonstration of the high level of incompetence of those who call the shots in the commission.

With several lapses still waiting in the wings to pop up and the pretense of the commission that it would correct  the situation within one week , it is doubtful if one week would be enough for the commission to address the several shortcomings, man-made or designed, to enable Nigerians elect a new generation of leaders that would steer the troubled ship of governance for the next four years.

The governorship candidate of the  African Democratic Congress(ADC) in Oyo state, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin has called on the state Commissioner of Police to stop members of the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) from pulling down bill boards belonging to ADC candidates.

Senator Lanlehin made this call on Wednesday during an interaction with journalists in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''NURTW has started bringing down bill boards. We are appealing to the Commissioner of Police ,Mr. Abiodun Odunde who is  a fine officer, help us appeal to them so that Oyo state would be peaceful. It is in our interest that everything works. There should be a conflict resolution mechanism in place'', he stated.

In July 2005, the then Inspector General of Police Mr. Sunday Ehindero put in place committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the alleged killing of five Igbo traders and their female friend by some policemen at the Apo  mechanic village, Abuja on June 7 of the same year.

However, the committee was  headed by, Mike Okiro, then a Deputy Inspector General  of Police was dissolved by the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

The President hinged his decision on the fact that the Police could not be a Judge in its own case. In addition, the President's action was predicated on the testimonies of a  photographer, hired by the Police in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) to take photographs of the lifeless bodies of the six Nigerians sent to their untimely graves. 

The photographer confessed that the police were responsible for the crime, as he stated that he saw the police bring guns and placed  by the side of the corpses of the six, to make them look like armed robbers, after which, the police ordered him to take their photographs.

The photographer further stated that, he could not believe his eyes, when he saw the Commissioner of Police of the Command, explaining to Nigerians that those killed were armed robbers, while making particular reference to the photographs. Such instances abound till today.

This development emboldened the President to put a stop to the Police investigation, to avert a situation whereby the outcome of the investigation would favour the Police.

Without hesitation, the President set up a Judicial Commission  of Inquiry to find out how the six were killed and the role of the police in the incident. 

Nigerians now realized that the action of the President, was an indication that he lacked confidence in the competence of  Ehindero, as Inspector General of Police.

Complainants are converted to accused persons at Police stations, when money exchange hands, just as criminals boast of their cordial relationships with compromised officers and rank and file of the force.

Corruption and inefficiency have become recurring decimals in the Nigeria Police Force, this has affected almost all senior officers, who have occupied the position OF inspector General OF Police.

In this dispensation, Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief, when Ibrahim Idris assumed office as the Police Boss. They thought that they would soon begin to sleep with their two eyes closed This is not the situation, considering the manner the Police has handled the  Senator Dino Melaye case.

Sadly, for several years, there has been a disconnect between the IGP's office and the 36 state commands. This informed the establishment of special task forces by successive Inspectors General of Police to tackle crime nationwide.

Accusation of deprivation of funds and counter accusation of mismanagement of funds have characterized the relationship between the IGP's  office and the 36 state Police Commands.

Indeed, on issues bothering on corruption, the Police cannot be a Judge in its own case. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) is an anti-graft agency, with a number of policemen involved.

Indeed, the question of funding of the police still remains in the circle of administrative bottlenecks and the late release of funds by the Federal Government. Sabotage is now the order of the day. The insecurity in land addresses the question.

Of worry, is the communication lag between the office of the IGP and the Police Service Commission(PSC). The PSC is  not responsible for the appointment of the IGP.

Successive occupants of the IGP's seat have always been suspicious of any suggestion or advice emanating from  the commission.

Interestingly, some state governments, which are vigorously agitating for the establishment of state police, have taken advantage of the insecurity in the land.

However, state police cannot fly, in an environment filled with political office holders bereft of ideology and principles.

Nigerians should not be deceived by the activities of some selfish and greed-driven citizens, who continuously discredit the present  centralization of the  police structure, in favour of sectional interests and design.