Nigeria Police: The recently publicized ordeal of Professor Moyo Okediji illuminates the deep-rooted corruption and dysfunction plaguing Nigerian law enforcement. After falling victim to a violent Christmas night robbery in Ile-Ife, the academic sought police aid in Lagos to track his stolen goods. Rather than assistance, officers exploited Okediji’s misfortune to line their own pockets.
Okediji recounted being directed to a specific officer who demanded 100,000 naira (around $225) to work on the case. After paying the bribe, the man claimed suspects were spotted in Ondo and Ogun States but an arrest required 750,000 naira, over $1700. Recording the shakedown brought no relief as police brass did nothing to intervene.
This galling yet familiar example of police corruption stems from a force rotten at all levels. While many officers brave danger for paltry wages, They operate in squalid stations bereft of resources. Criminals bribe superiors with far greater sums, breeding betrayal of duty. Desperation leads officers to wring cash from victims and citizens through threats or false promises.
Systemic extortion intensified under past dictatorships. But today’s force still rankles with remnants of brutality and graft. Officers regularly setup checkpoints to fleece motorists. Many extract bribes rather than file crime reports. Audits detail missing case files, detainee torture and routine dismissal of complaints against police.
This culture of exploitation has wide ripple effects. Non-investigation of crimes like Okediji’s robbery simply enables more lawlessness. Many victims decline to even contact the police knowing charges for assistance await. When the public views law enforcement as an adversary rather than an ally, they lose faith in obtaining justice.
With under 150,000 officers policing a nation of 200 million, Nigeria’s force lacks resources and training for intense community problems. Yet reform efforts stall while leaders cast blind eyes upon rot within the ranks. Officers who expose internal corruption face reassignment or retaliation.
Restoring ethics and efficacy is long overdue for a force losing legitimacy among citizens. No foreign visitor should endure shake downs that leave Nigeria seeming a haven for uniformed crooks rather than lawful protectors. No citizen deserves the dual victimization faced by Professor Okediji.
President Tinubu must intervene to halt these pervasive abuses of power. Increased prosecutions, stings against bribe takers and concrete protections for whistleblowers offer starting points.
Nigeria Police: Weeding out criminality ingrained among police ranks poses immense challenges. But reforming this vital institution cannot wait if Nigeria wants safety, justice and public trust.
Source After encounter with Nigerian Immigration, US professor robbed, then extorted by police officers.