#EndSARS: Shall We Tell The President Nigerian Police’ Real Problems

When would the Nigerian leaders abide by the last paragraph of the second stanza of our national anthem? “To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign”. When would the Nigerian masses have the opportunity to breathe that famous air of Freedom, Peace and Unity as proscribed by the last paragraph of the first stanza of our national anthem, “One Nation Bound In Freedom, Peace and Unity”.

When would the Nigerian commoners be able to enjoy social welfare like the rest of the world. When would the poor who’re already wallowing in abject poverty be set free, when would we be able to leave the forts and barricades of fear, to stand erect and face the future with smiles.

When would politicians FREE the poor country from being looted and canibalised; when would the spellbinders stop oppressing the carpetbaggers; when would greedy politicians handoff our “commonwealth” to allow the country breathe and grow. When would we be left-off the hook of native imperialists colonizing us, when would we have the President who listens to the plights of the suffering masses. God! When?

This brings us to the myriads of unethical conducts, extra judicial killings, reckless gun runnings, and professional blunders of the Nigeria Police. Their dishonorable actions have obviously reached its crescendo and It is time to effect a revolution to reform these unruly manners. Now or never is the time to restore the lost glory and dignity of an institution task to secure the lives and properties of the Nigerian populace but instead tow the path of messengers of the abattoir.

To the Nigeria Police, and in particular, the notorious “f-SARS” unit, the country is a slaughterhouse while they’re butchers employed to flock, and kill the “farm animals”.

With no doubt, the major problem and challenge of the men of Nigeria Police is nothing but illeteracy, compounded by inferiority complex. Illiteracy breeds more ignorance than you can ever begin to imagine. Men of the Nigeria Police are suffering from these two kinds of illiteracy: one that can’t read; and the other that can’t do anything rather than being ignoramus.
We must, by all means necessary, eradicate the ignorance and illiteracy of our Police institution in order for us to have peace, freedom, development and national unity.

An opinion poll has identified one of the reasons behind Police ignorance in Nigeria, this, according to the poll is not far-fetched from the enlisting process. Police recruitment is one of the worst things to happen to this country; that explains why it looks like they’re conscripted to appear in shabby uniforms, of course except for the superiors officers.

It is a common knowledge that an average rank and file (lower cadre officers) in the police force cannot engage in a simple grammar conversation without resulting to pidgin English, and not just that, a good number of them appear like rogues, and they largely behave like upgraded never-do-well-touts enlisted to protect the society; the main reason they bully, harrass, extort and oppress the common man in the society. It has been established that ninety percent, if not more of the rank and file officers are good for nothing school dropouts who don’t even know their left from rights.

Not until the police recruitment processes take a new dimension by setting proper standards where candidates are compeled to write a well organised and coordinated examination like other professionals in different fields, the police will continue to churn out these torn-in-the-flesh quacks.

A CROWD, like they say, whose discontent has risen no higher than the level of it’s slogans is only a crowd but a CROWD that understands the reasons for its discontent and knows the remedies is a vital community, and it will have to be reckoned with. Suffice to say that the President has no other CHOICE than to listen to the hues and cries of the masses and Nigerian youths and address the nation before this takes a dramatic turn. The Nigerian youths are not joking, they want an end to the notorious trigger happy SARS-men. The changes that are required in the police force are nothing but fundamental changes in the way the institution is composed. Enough is Enough…The President must speak now! On SARS!

Tunde Moshood is a public commentator, activist and renowned journalist of international repute