Nigerian Security Agents And Brutality

The reported killing of a bus driver in Rumuokoro within the Port Harcourt metropolis last Sunday by a soldier has once again brought to the fore the increasing level of impunity by security operatives in the country.
The late commercial bus driver, Michael Nweye, was said to have met his untimely death when he failed to obey the soldier who ordered him to stop as he was driving against the run of traffic at the Rumuokoro axis of Bori Camp gate of Port Harcourt Barrack. Angered by the driver’s behavior, the military man, allegedly opened fire and killed him at close range.
Indeed, it is unbelievable that a man should be killed for a traffic offence which many motorists in Port Harcourt, particularly security operatives, are guilty of. It is a known fact that our security personnel who are supposed to enforce traffic laws in the country are the main breakers of these laws. Hardly does any security personnel in uniform obey traffic rule, making many people to wonder if the uniform has become a licence for them to be lawless. Sometimes, some motorists who would have queued patiently at traffic jam are emboldened to drive against the traffic, seeing some security agents take the lead, blaring siren even when we were told that the use of siren had been banned in the state.
One is not in any way trying to justify the action of the deceased driver, but as the saying goes, one who goes to equity must go with clean hands. Our law enforcement agents cannot expect the citizens to obey laws of the land when they that are supposed to set examples blatantly violate these laws.
So, government and the hierarchy of the security forces should take urgent steps to put a stop to all these anomalies perpetrated by uniform men in the country. The issue of the safety of poor, innocent civilians in the hands of trigger happy police, army, and other security forces should be seriously looked into.
Overtimes, ordinary citizens have been assassinated or brutalised by the police who claim to be their friends.
Recall that on August 7, this year, a bus driver was killed at Whimpey axis of Port Harcourt when a policeman on stop and search duty allegedly shot and killed him over N100.00.
In July 2011, two night guards were reportedly killed under questionable circumstances by the police in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. That led to a protest against the police by the community members, especially the youths who eventually killed a police woman in retaliation.
On Thursday, December 22, 2011, a policeman in Akwa Ibom State also reportedly shot dead a 21 year old girl in another case of abuse of weapons and intimidation of defenceless people.
Reports had it that the policeman had gone to a community in Oron Local Government Area of the State to make arrest, but resorted to shooting carelessly, resulting to the killing of the girl, Agnes.
The case of one Emmanuel Victor from Bayelsa State, who was cut down in cold blood in the street of Bayelsa State in the presence of his mother is still fresh in our memories. Emmanuel’s crime was that he had the nerves to caution a group of policemen manning a check point to desist from extortion. To compound the sorrow of the already devastated mother, arms and drugs were planted on his lifeless body.
In fact, the cases of brutality and killing by security men especially the police are so many that some people say the police force has the blood of many innocent souls soiling their hands and making them filthy. During a phone-in programme on a popular radio station last week, many people called in to narrate their ugly experiences and those of their friends, relatives and acquaintances in the hands of security personnel in the state. It was heart-rending to hear how people were being harassed, intimidated, extorted and abused by the people who are supposed to protect them.
As usual, in all these cases, the police promised to investigate them. The outcome of the investigation of many of them is still being awaited. Many therefore, believe that some policemen and other security personnel continue the unlawful elimination of innocent citizens because all those involved in the act in the past went scot-free.
Truly, if the case of Apo multiple extrajudicial killings in Abuja which claimed the lives of six Igbo boys returning from an evening outing had been resolved and the culprits punished, or killers of Emmanuel had been fished out and dealt with according to the law, had the military officers who take pleasure in molesting innocent civilians are being punished, these cases would have served as a deterrent to any other blood-thirsty police or military officer ready to unleash their bullets on the citizens for any flimsy reason.
Perhaps, the security agents need to be reminded about the sensitive security situation of the nation and that increased level of security officers’ impunity will further worsen the security situation. Anything that will lead to violence should be avoided.
Almost all previous Inspectors General of Police, professed their readiness to fight corruption and other vices in the force, yet there are little or no changes, rather, the situation seems to be getting worse by the day.
It then behoves on the current acting Inspector General of Police and the various military heads to take drastic actions to curtail the excesses of their men and thoroughly sanitise the system. There should be training and re-orientation of the policemen and the military. They should be made to realise the sacredness of human life and that only God has the power to take life whenever he wishes.
It is also important that the welfare of our security personnel be looked at as an improved welfare package may make them carry out their responsibilities more diligently and spare the innocent, poor citizens.