Can Ibrahim Idris reform the police?

Sir: Once, my vehicle precariously missed hitting a woman, thanks to a police van that stopped abruptly on the highway in front of a commuter bus – whose driver parked supposedly at a spot not meant for it. Had we hit the woman, we might not have escaped fatalities. This bothers me and I am not in anyway suggesting that in Nigeria, members of the police are the only ones who are guilty of such misconduct.

On two occasions when I went to police stations to seek bail for persons who had minor scuffles, I was asked by police officers on duty at the ‘counter,’ for money to procure ‘Izal’ and ‘Detol’, and ‘tissue paper’ before I could see these persons.

Aren’t the senior officers aware of this con by their junior officers ? How can officers step up policing without, first of all, a basic CCTV camera installed in their offices?

When young officers are posted to the homes of retired politicians as security men and they see exotic cars parked in the garages, then you should expect them to question the profession they have chosen!

Our society can be safe only when there are effective partnerships between government and the police to fight crime.

The job of the police would be made easier if efforts are channeled correctly. The job of the police will be made easier when the Nigerian State insists upon orderly behaviour from all citizens regardless of class.

I wonder what the kind of policing Nigeria hopes to get when the rank and file buy their kits and no training is provided on democratic idealism so as to appreciate the concept of citizen rights in a democracy.

It’s sickening to see a police patrol team more interested in pulling over a pickup van or truck carrying building materials, than giving chase and trying to apprehend robbers, car snatchers, kidnappers and child traffickers.

So many things are wrong with the police and all Nigerians must work to correct them.

Simon Abah, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.