By Abdulwahab Oba
Biodun (not his real name) will never forget in a hurry his horrific experience with men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police, otherwise known as SARS. He was returning home in Ilorin after his Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination at about 7pm when he was accosted by men of SARS on patrol. After identifying himself as a student, Biodun was thoroughly searched and followed to the nearest ATM where his stipend of N18,000 was allegedly withdrawn and threatened if he ever told any one. He’s yet to recover from the shock.
Unconfirm story of how policemen dropped their guns at a prearranged location for unknown men for agreed sum is also fresh in my memory. An acquaintance had narrated to me how some people he believed were men of the underworld came to pick up arms left in an abandoned car by some policemen. They returned the arms to the same place presumably after their “operation”, the men returned to pick up their guns possibly with their share.
Eternally ensnared in notoriety and heavily weighed down by a public image that invoke resentment, it would seem that the directive by, now former Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, last week, for a total overhaul of SARS, and later, the decentralization of the entire police force, may not have come as a surprise to many.
The SARS division of the Nigeria Police assigned essentially with the responsibility of pre-empting, preventing as well as, foiling criminal activities, particularly armed robbery, has, itself, metamorphosed into a dreaded lawless squad often allegedly involved in illegal duties, arrest and detention of innocent people on flimsy excuses, extortion, intimidation, and worse of all, mindless torture of people without due process.
But this is a part of the police story. It’s not a complete story of the SARS. In the course of this duty, I have come across a number of diligent, patriotic and highly professional policemen. Most officers, they’ve proven to be extraordinarily professional in the discharge of their duties. I met them in SARS. I met some of the regular police. Even the men among them are excellent in the discharge of their duties.
Truly, from little or no proper supervision to the total lack of control, officers and men of the police, like most other areas of human endeavour, may slowly, but steadily, become perfect bookmarks of unprofessional conducts such that almost everything was possible, including using it to settle private scores. Many believe, and I beg to disagree, that with a deep financial vault, it was possible for the crooks in SARS custody to be set free and the innocent punished. But, no. I disagree. At least not in their Abuja headquarters.
But interestingly, that’s how terrible public perception of SARS has been, thus making the Vice President’s directive to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, long overdue. Yet, while many may welcome the development, fears are that without extending the exercise to include the leadership of the Police from where SARS operatives take instructions, it might serve its immediate benefits, but fail at the long run. Like the proverbial fish that gets bad starting from its head, it is believed that the men mirror the rot in the Nigeria Police and cannot be treated in isolation.
Only recently, journalists with Premium Times, an online newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria, were picked up and detained for days and could only regain freedom following public outcry. It was not only SARS operatives that have lost the confidence of Nigerians, but also the entire police hierachy. In October last year, for instance, a number of human rights groups and joint Civil Society groups in Nigeria, jointly issued a public statement, drawing attention to the activities of SARS operatives, as well as, undue delays in investigating the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Chairman of Police Service Commission, (PSC), retired Inspector General of Police, Mr Mike Okiro, over allegations of corruption by Senator Hamman Isa Misau.
Senator Misau, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, had through interviews in the media, consistently accused the IGP of grand corruption, abuse of office and predatory sexual misconduct against serving female officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), while thumbing down Okiro over corruption, mismanagement and complicity in the handling of police promotion without regards to merit and equity.
While the IGP clearly failed to address the allegations directly, he responded by accusing the senator of deserting from the police force and forging documents to that effect, an allegation dismissed by Police Service Commission, which showed evidence to the contrary. Curiously, however, Presidency, which according to the Acts establishing the Police and PSC, has supervisory responsibility, has yet to investigate these grave allegations against these top officers of the police.
Presidency’s grave silence, but for a criminal case against the senator, without, first, investigating the allegations, add to the many reasons police under it’s current leadership cannot be trusted and further highlights the failure of government to take itself seriously in the face of its anti-corruption campaigns. Without doubt, a combination of inadequate funding, indiscipline and corruption have pushed most officers of the police to the edge of fury as they grumble and take out their frustrations on fellow citizens and undermining national security in the process.
In recent times, this IGP has flagrantly disobeyed and violated the grand norms of our growing democracy by undermining the rule of law. Times without number, he has refused to obey legitimate invitation by the National Assembly. Times without number he has disobeyed and dishonoured court injections. Times without number, this IGP has detained suspects beyond limits of the law. This IGP is guilty, at least in the court of public opinion, of gross human rights violations. This IGP has no respect for our law.
The world over, standard practice is for the head of every institution, private or public, to set the pace by coming clean and in-turn watch as discipline trickles down the ladder. To do otherwise, would spell doom no matter how good intensioned or the scope of investigations might be. Not even partnering with the National Human Rights Commission, (NHRC) or any other civil society group, can mend a broken trust, especially with the reported misappropriation of police funds meant for salary leading to a public protest by aggrieved police officers, recently.
Therefore, while the new operational standard guidelines and procedures, and code of conduct for all personnel, aimed at ensuring strict adherence and compliance to the rule of law with due regards to international human rights law and constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects, should begin without delay, the IGP must show sufficient evidence of compliance with the laws of the land which he sworn to defend and protect. He must depoliticise his privilege position and submit to questioning by an independent panel on various allegations of professional misconducts. It is only on these can the IGP become the true symbol of the much dreamed police.
*Oba can be reached via e-mail:abdulwahaboba@gmail.com
