The Nigeria Police is no doubt one of the oldest institutions existing. It is the principal law enforcement and a leading security agency in Nigeria. Unarguably, it establishment could be traced back to 1820. Recently, the Nigeria Police is one of the institutions facing bedevilling situations. Ranging from internal structure defects, hostility from citizens, killings of her agents in the Southeast and public negative perception. The importance of the police can not be overemphasized. Tactically, the duties of Policing is being ripped-off of the Nigeria Police. Almost every of her sister agencies, if not all were drafted from the Nigeria Police.
The present day Department of State Services (DSS) defunctly known as National Security Organization (NSO) until Ibraheem Badamosi Babaginda’s dissolution has its roots in the Nigeria Police. It’s main responsibilities are internal security including; Counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, protection of high public office holders, and investigation of crimes capable of threatening national security. All these, the Nigeria Police still parades as a duty with an Anti-terrorism Unit, Special Protection Unit and a Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) established in 2003 with a purpose of investigating financial crimes of advance fee fraud and money laundering. Although, failing in her responsibility, as there is an increase of such crimes since it establishment. The EFCC and Independent Corrupt practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have an overlapping responsibility which itself is a problem to an imagined solution. The Nigeria Police still has a Special Anti-fraud Unit duplicating these responsibilities.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps having her existence as a voluntary organization can be traced to the Civil War period of 1967. In June, 2003 an act to give it statutory backing was signed into law by the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Her statutory function is to protect life and properties, crisis resolutions, and protection of pipelines from Vandals. This is synonymous to that of the Nigeria Police and must have been the reason for unhealthy rivalry between the two agencies as seen by activities. However, the NSCDC does not seem to have brought the desired change in our security architecture. It has become another puzzle of problem to the existing ones. Cases of indisciplined members, collection of bribes also persist and possibly rampant. The NSCDC has also made itself available for the protection of VIPs.
The Federal Road Safety Corps is a government agency saddled with the responsibility of road safety administration as inscribed in her nomenclature. It was established in 1988 with statutory functions such as; Making highway safe for motorist and other users, designing and producing vehicle and number plates and drivers license, clearing obstructions on any part of the highway etc. Some of these functions, the Nigeria Police still parades as theirs with a traffic unit headed by a Divisional Traffic Officer (DTO) in all divisions.
The clamour for the establishment of state police is not for affirming federalism. It is an attestation that the current police structure is inadequate and unfit for policing. The need for creation of state police is long overdue. Hence, the establishment of AMOTEKUN and other regional policing systems/network. The formation of AMOTEKUN is a master stroke to the need for state policing. All arguments against state police has been defeated with such establishment.
Furthermore, the Nigeria Police with the duplication of her duties enumerated above is apt to state that it is on a journey to extinction, there is an alternative to her duties/roles. There is need for the Nigeria Police to restrategise, re-orientate, and acclimatize with current realities. The society is leaving it behind, if it doesn’t swing with the current tide of events.
The Nigeria Police has lost focus in conducting proper vetting of it potential operatives before they are confirmed. Since the Police recruits from the interested members of the public, it is pertinent to state that, thorough vetting cannot be over emphasized. The recruitment of Police officers must be taken seriously than that of NNPC, and other money making government MDAs.
It is obvious the Intelligence Unit of Nigeria Police is pseudo alive. It intelligent Unit must dwell in cover operations not relying on Intelligence from other agencies before they can carry out enforcement, they must go back to the drawing table to re-awakening their intelligence Unit.
It’s not an understatement that Nigeria Police reward erring members with transfer instead of administering proper justice, rather, justice are done on pages of newspaper and in the media, but not in actual sense or reality. Thus, the lack of disciplinary actions of erring members encourages indiscipline and unscrupulousness.
The training and retraining of members of Nigeria Police should be periodic or as the case may be, be acquainted with crimes technologically.
Re-branding to reflect attitudinal change is of great importance. The Police must stop it money-making mentality of a code name; “You give-take-return”, they must encourage a patriotic culture as a duty for social re-engineering in the service.
Ayodele Oladimeji Blackey is a historian, diplomat, strategist, social commentator, youth advocate, political activist and a realist. He can be reached @comradeblackey@gmail.com
