LIFE MOMENTS:IS THE POLICE REALLY OUR FRIEND?

 The Nigerian Police Service as a law enforcement agency is primarily established to protect the lives and properties of the citizens. At least that is what's supposed to be their job. But make no mistake about your relationship with the Nigerian Police. Nowhere in the world is the police your friend. I don't know who came up with the mantra "The Police is your friend", but I bet you this particular statement doesn't apply to the Nigerian Police.

Citizens are constitutionally entitled to the right to be protected by its police and are guaranteed by the highest law of the nation, but SOME of these officers make it a duty to deprive citizens of their rights. Yeah you read that right, SOME officers, because i can't condemn all. Remember the Idiom about "few bad eggs", well it's quite obvious the bad eggs in our police units are more than the good ones, and eventually the bad eggs will corrupt the good ones.

The mantra "The police is our friend" has long been thrown overboard as the officers themselves do everything in their power to show they are not our friends. As usual the top hierarchy of the force try so hard to paint the force in a way that seem like they're our friends, but the simple truth is, the police have refused to be anyone's friend, at least those that interact with the general public makes this point really clear to the public. Instead of being friends, they have turned themselves into enemies of the public with their actions, antics, aloofness and their attitude of intimidating members of the public.

For those of you who are yet to have an experience with the Nigerian Police and you're probably wondering the kind of crimes committed by the police, here's some; The Nigerian police officers abuse civilians, arrest both the corrupt and innocent, harass the youths for owning an iPhone or keeping dreads, they brutalize civilians, threaten them with weapons, they shoot at civilians without proper investigation. If an officer of the police force suspects you to be a criminal, you better start praying to God for a journey back home because in most cases, suspects don't make it back home alive. A perfect example can be seen in their unruly behaviour towards the peaceful ENDSARS protesters, by killing ten(10) protesters and brutalizing many others. Sars which is the acronym for Special Anti Robbery Squad, is a notorious unit in the Nigerian Police, that is known for killing and brutalizing youths in the country. These officers feel their actions are right and will not be penalized, that's why they do what they do without fear or worries.

Tell any Nigerian "The police is your friend" and you'll be bombarded with sighs, hisses, anger, laughter, and in some cases threats, as they reminisce and reflect upon their past experience with their supposed "friends". Almost everyone has one bad experience or the other to recount. 

So when the Nigerian youths take on the streets to protest against the Notorious SARS and police brutality, it is not because they are jobless or lazy like the president called them. We protest because the system has failed us in so many ways but the most disturbing of them all is allowing the police that's supposed to protect the people, to become the oppressors of the same people. And yet the Government is silent about it. 

We will not stop crying, shouting, praying and raising our placards against this tyranny and corrupt system, until we win, and these corrupt officers are penalized.