‘The  police is your friend’

By  ADAH  GIFT

Over the years, ‘The police is your friend’ has become a popular refrain. It is pasted on the walls of some police stations across the country. However, the veracity of the saying remains debatable.

The police are the officials responsible for law enforcement, order and maintenance in the society, but in our dear country, they brutally  use force beyond the limit permissible by law.

Sadly, police brutality has been a recurring problem in Nigeria. It has become widespread and manifested in several ways. The Nigeria Police is supposed to be a custodian to all citizens, but the reverse is the case.

In a survey conducted on people in police custody, nearly half of the accused persons interviewed (48.7 per cent) stated that their arrest involved insult or abuse by the police.

Roughly half (51.1 per cent) of the accused persons interviewed indicated that their arrest did not involve use of physical force by the police, however, 35.9 per cent were rough handled or slapped; 7.4 per cent were beaten with a baton; and three per cent were threatened with a gun.

As to why force was used on them, 24.2 per cent said they did nothing to warrant the use of force,  three per cent resisted arrest, while 1.6 per cent returned verbal abuse. 5.2 per cent were assaulted because they questioned police behaviour; and 22.5 per cent were assaulted because they either refused to admit their offence or make a statement.

Recently,Tina Ezekwe, a 16-year-old secondary school pupil, died after she was struck by a police bullet in Iyana-Oworo area of Lagos.

The young girl was reportedly killed by a drunk police officer who shot to disperse a crowd  that had gathered after shooting a commercial bus driver who refused to give him bribe.

Over the years, there has been so many cases of police brutality and mindless murder of innocent citizens.

A student Chukwuemeka Matthew  Onovo, 22,  left his father’s house in Enugu on the morning of July 4, 2008 and never returned. His father went to the police to report his sudden disappearance.

He later discovered his son had been shot dead after a shootout ensued near their home.The police claimed he was an armed robber but eye witnesses said he was unarmed when he was killed.

Another pathetic story is that of Chibuike Anams, a 23-year-old student, who was killed in company of  two friends at a guest house in Elimgbu, Rivers State, on July 24, 2009.

The  police had raided the guest house, he attempted to escape and was shot dead on the spot. His friends were arrested but were later released.

Anams’family reported him missing at the police headquarters in Port Harcourt after he failed to come home.

They discovered he had died  almost a week after they had visited several police stations. Why the police shot Anams was mystery to his parents. He did not commit any crime.

It will not be out of place to say relationships between the Nigeria police and citizens are largely characterised by suspicion, prejudice, mutual disrespect, conflict and violence.

This is a clarion call to the police to be friends with all and sundry without any form of hypocrisy.

• Adah is a 300 level student of the Department of Law,University of Calabar.