The reported plan by the Lagos State Police Command to revive night patrol by its personnel must come as cheering news for Lagosians in particular and Nigerians in general who have been yearning for a major reform of the police and their law enforcement activities.
Ordinarily, performance of the statutory activities of the police in protecting lives and property from criminals is designed to traverse day and night, more so as criminals do not have a scheduled time or period to perpetrate crime. And that is how it has been until lately, following the major protest against police irregularities epitomised by the #EndSARS campaign against police brutality. Since then, policing in most parts of the country went into a deep slumber.
Certainly, the huge casualties suffered by the police during the #EndSARS protest dealt a serious blow to their confidence. That is why the media report of the plan to revive night patrol should be welcomed. The idea was attributed to the new Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fayoade Adegoke; but Nigerians will be happier if the plan is not only genuine, rather than being a mere media hype; but also if it forms part of a larger design to reform the police, transform them out of their slumber, and bring them to perform their constitutional mandate of securing lives and property of Nigerians wherever they may be and at all times of the day and night.
Ultimately, the police in the country can attain their optimal efficiency level if they are decentralised into regional or state police. This is the most likely reform that will ensure not just adequate funding of the police but also enhance their efficiency to a level comparable to police outfits in respected countries.
Immediately after the #EndSARS protest of 2020 staged across the country by the youth against police brutality and other illegalities, policing of Lagos and the country started to wane considerably with policemen being absent at major areas, including locations that are notorious for criminal activities, and thereby making people and property more vulnerable to attack by gangsters.
In broad daylight, criminals who noticed the absence of policemen in many places took advantage of the situation to freely carry out their nefarious activities, making life uncomfortable for Lagos residents. This prompted frequent complaints by Lagosians who accused the police of abandoning their constitutional responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the citizens. Revival of night patrol is expected to rekindle hope for Nigerians whose daily engagements often spill over to the late hours of the night.
The Police Act specifies the duties of the police as preventing and detecting crimes, and protecting the rights and freedom of every person in Nigeria as provided for in the constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and any other law: maintaining public safety; protecting the life and property of every person in Nigeria; enforcing all laws and regulations without any prejudice to the enabling Acts of other security agencies; collaborating with other agencies to take any necessary action and providing the required assistance or support to persons in distress, including victims of road accidents, fire disasters, earthquakes and flood; and facilitating free passage and movement on highways, roads and streets open to the public.
In 1992, a special unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) known as Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was created to deal with escalating crimes, including armed robbery, motor vehicle theft, kidnapping, cattle rustling and illegal possession of firearms. But overtime, SARS became controversial for alleged link to extra-judicial killings, extortion, torture, kidnapping, frame up, blackmail, illegal organ trade, armed robbery, home invasion, among other vices. In 2020, the youth finally declared their total loss of confidence in SARS when they staged an unprecedented and well coordinated protest across the country, calling for disbandment of the police unit.
The aftermath of that protest plunged the police to its lowest ebb, giving vent for all manner of criminality to thrive particularly at night. Often, the media report travails of some Lagos residents in the hands of criminal elements. For instance, it has become dangerous for drivers and owners of vehicles that break down on the road.
From nowhere, both at night and in broad daylight, hoodlums would swoop on the vehicle occupants to extort or dispossess them of valuable items. Victims also stand a grave risk of being seriously injured. Motorists stuck in traffic are also routinely attacked by traffic robbers and forcefully dispossessed of their money, hand phones and other valuables, sometimes having their vehicles severely damaged. People have been reportedly killed in such attacks partly because there were no police personnel around to deter the criminals.
Noticeably, skeletal services provided by policemen are usually in areas where criminal activities are not rampant. Police visibility in every nook and cranny of local governments, states and the Federal Capital Territory is crucial for effective prevention and tackling of criminal activities as well as maintaining peace and order. It also weakens the tendency to commit crime for fear of being caught and made to face the wrath of the law. When the security personnel are not there, the innocent people become more vulnerable to the heinous activities of criminals.
Today, Nigeria is witnessing a high level of criminality because the number of security personnel in the country is too small to effectively protect the growing population. There are still many towns and villages without either a police station or police post. Even in many places where they are available, the security facilities are not adequately staffed and equipped to be able to confront and subdue criminals who are known to carry more sophisticated weapons.
This is one of the reasons for the trenchant call for state police, with the hope that the personnel will be more visible everywhere and diligent in carrying out their duties for a more peaceful and secure environment.
Let the police resume night and day patrol in Lagos and other parts of the country. Adegoke and other state commissioners of police have a responsibility to ensure that police operation is focused on preventing and fighting crimes, not to extort the people, violate their fundamental human rights or perpetrate illegality.
