This post has already been read 3228 times!
Whether it is coming from the members of the Nigerian Police force, or from any random Nigerian with some little cash in his or her bank account, there is at least one form of injustice or the other being meted on one Nigerian somewhere in his own country. From the young medical doctor who was stabbed in Idi-araba by thugs, just to cart away his belongings, to one little innocent baby somewhere in a crèche being maltreated by his or her caregiver; it appears no one is immune to this wave of evil that has bedevilled Nigeria’s society.
We hear of these few and we react, what about hundreds that we don’t even get to read or hear about? In some rural areas or villages far away from town centres, who would even stand to speak for those ones? You know, people get away with all manner of terrible acts of wickedness against their fellow Nigerians simply because they latched on the loopholes in the system. An area boy for instance in an urban centre can easily rob people of their belongings simply because he knows there is no law enforcement agent very close to rescue his victim. Some bandits can unleash mayhem on a whole village because they know there are no soldiers or police very close to checkmate them.
A police officer can kill an innocent bystander and get away with it because he knows the police hierarchy would protect him. By the way, some of these SARS or SACS operatives go out on the order of their superiors to deliver. We have heard and read that most times, they are being given financial targets that must be turned in daily, sometimes weekly. So, they become desperate in the process, even if it would result in an innocent Nigerian losing his or her life in the process.
By the way, for similar incidences like the case of Kolade Johnson that have occurred in the past, how many of the officers involved have been jailed or sentenced to death? Most of the times, after public outcry on social media, and the police summarily dismisses some of these officers, (as they usually do), do we even know if some of these officers end up being jailed or killed for killing an innocent life? The lacuna in our institutions breed these criminals and their acts. Because the system have not publicly made an example of any of them, the problem continues unabated.
So, who do we blame for these senseless killings we read and hear of everyday? The innocent people that lost their lives? Of course not! There is no crime in being young and expressive in one’s own country. Young people go about their daily lives being scared of SARS. Even those who happen to be engaged in legitimate hustle are being harassed daily, because they probably drive a Toyota Corolla, use an iphone or have their laptops with them. I was once in a commercial vehicle one day in Osun state, and some SARS operatives stopped our bus, and asked some boys to start opening their laptops to be searched. These are university students for Christ sake, who probably use the laptops for their studies.
That exercise lasted for more than twenty minutes, wasting everybody’s precious time. What really are they searching for? Police are meant to protect lives and properties, and not take the lives of those they were meant to protect.
And so, we have been shouting that the Police force be reformed. We have shouted in the past that the SARS unit of the Police force be reformed and reconstituted as well. We shouted that the bad eggs within the police be weeded out. Sadly, at the time; it appeared they were going to do something about it, but nothing significant was done. And this is one of Nigeria’s biggest problems, these shout about reform police and all of that we trend again, for the next couple of days, because of Kolade Johnson’s untimely death, and everything will go quiet again; maybe until another innocent person is killed.
But this is my plea to every innocent young Nigerians, please stay safe out there. This injustice may not stop until Nigeria values human lives. Until the leadership of this nation sees every lives as important, this may not stop. Go about your legitimate businesses not breaking or flouting any law. Don’t argue with some of these police officers with guns in their hands, many of them are not mentally stable. Comply with them if you are being stopped for a search. As much as the nation isn’t safe, please try as much as possible to stay safe.
Stay blessed!
