Author: Rukayat Usman
The current security situation in Nigeria is dreadful and heart-wrenching. This is aggravated by the poor police relations with the public as evident in the incessant police brutality, the harbinger of the #EndSARS protests. This is to bring to your attention that this hash-tag is beyond the dissolution of the notorious SARS unit, but it is also a demand for better treatment of the Nigerian people by security agencies. In lieu of this, below are the reforms we would like to see the government do to curb the issue of police brutality :
CLOSURE
We cannot really move forward until closure is provided to those who have lost loved ones or incurred significant provable losses as a result of SARS/police brutality. The government should begin by -
- collating and investigating these cases and profiling guilty policemen.
- commiserate with and adequately compensate all affected persons.
- form a special psychosomatic committee composed of doctors, psychologists and other experts to walk the affected persons through their grief and try restoring a proper relationship between them and the reformed police we must achieve.
CLAMPING DOWN FURTHER BRUTALITY
We have to take significant decisions that would translate into strong actions to make sure this type of occurrences is shut in the Nigeria of the former times, for it cannot follow us into the reformed Nigeria which we have started creating. The government should –
- draft a policy of police-public engagement across different circumstances and make this a widely circulated handbook/document. The consequence of breaking each rule both for the public and the police should be clearly stated therein. No more arbitrary punishments and so-called laws on the Nigerian people.
- Redefining and checking the use of arms and ammunition. By this, I mean that heavy-duty weapons like the AK 47s and live ammunition should not be brought for a ‘regular’ arrest, to a checkpoint within town, a protest or carried indiscriminately. Instead, low-power arms with rubber bullets and at most (extreme conditions), a low-powered taser should be used.
FILLING THE LOOPHOLES WITHIN THE POLICE
Rehabilitation of policemen – Most of the officers that deal with coldblooded criminals and violent crimes experience deep horrors on the job and can end up having trauma thus resulting in substance abuse among some, (as observed among all armed jobs around the world) and then end up treating civil cases with a heavy hand. Therefore, a unit within the police or an independent body dedicated to therapeutic sessions and retraining should be set up for these individuals. Based on the results of these sessions, underperforming officers should never be made to deal with the general public, keep their operations limited to hardcore criminals and terrorists.
Rehabilitation of police stations/base – There should be at least one functional CCTV cameras to monitor activities in every station, which can be demanded for by the public through a court order. It is also useful in capturing cases of attack on police stations, for example, the attack and killing of all the policemen in Kabba and Offa in Kogi and Kwara states respectively.
No police station should be expected to raise revenue for its operations.
Accountability – All officers should pick guns from the armoury when needed and return it after operations. If a bullet is missing especially among live ammunition, they should be made to account for it.
They should also fill in registers about their operations/movement on their return from each assignment.
WELFARE AND REMUNERATION
It is the constitutional duty of the government to cater for the welfare of ALL Nigerians, including the Nigerians in the Nigeria police.
Rehabilitation of police barracks – The police barracks are one of the worsts that there is. This means that their families are exposed to very poor living conditions, and pressure from this can be bad for someone who wields a weapon. Decent housing should be provided for them at no exorbitant deductions from their salaries.
Promotion of the dignity of labour in the police – We need to encourage well-meaning Nigerians to join and be proud to be in the Police force. The police should not be a place for employment when all other chances at getting employed have been exhausted, neither is the protection of lives and properties a shameful job.
We can begin by dedicating a special day to remember the fallen heroes among the police, those who died in active service (a Police Remembrance Day). For example, the 87 policemen out of over 100 that were deployed to Nasarawa state who were killed in an ambush on the 7th of May, 2013. All living officers with distinguished and commendable service should also be decorated, while those falling short should be dishonourably discharged and where need be, prosecuted.
Raising the death benefit given to their next-of-kin - The amount paid to their families in event of their death in active service should be significant enough. The loophole here was revealed when policemen in the JTF were killed in 2014/15 in the North-east alongside their colleagues in the military and SSS, but were paid figures around ₦100,000 (definitely less than a million) while others received 7-digit sums.
Mutual respect should be promoted amongst men in uniform. Policemen should not be publicly assaulted by the military as is fairly common in our clime, and the police should equally respect the military, differences should not amount to a shameful public display of impunity among men who ought to portray character and give Nigerians a sense of security.
Lastly, we ask that all the arms of government support actively, a total overhaul of the Nigerian Police Force and this should be done immediately. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
-a pro-restructure Nigerian youth.
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