Richard Odusanya
In the coming decades, law enforcement will face an increasingly digitalized and complex world. With this rapidly evolving digital landscape, policing will therefore face new challenges and opportunities. Given the significance of leapfrogging from colonial mentality to a modern era of policing and the present situation, what will the future of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) look like in the years to come? And even more important, what can law enforcement do now to prepare for these impending transformations? To answer this question, policies and procedures for policing in the African continent, particularly Nigerian environment needs a new social order and innovation.
In my view, policing is becoming more multi-dimensional as it is expected to strives to re-establish the rule of law while providing public safety and security. The Nigeria Police Force is the principal law enforcement and the lead security agency in Nigeria. Designated by the 1999 constitution as the national police of Nigeria with exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country, as at 2016 it has a staff strength of about 371,800. What is more, the argument has been that with the population of close to 230 million people policed by approximately 450, 000 policemen, Nigeria is under-policed. Policing in Nigeria is beset with many challenges. Presently, the crime statistics is frightening.
Furthermore, The agency is currently headed by IGP (Inspector General) Usman Alkali Baba. Baba Usman the current substantive and 21st Nigerian Inspector General of Police, was appointed by the President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari to replace Mohammed Adamu who retired from Nigeria Police Force in February 2021. Thereafter, the Police Council on Friday, June 4, 2021, confirmed the appointment of Alkali Usman Baba as the substantive Inspector General of Police. It is instructive to note that in 2020, the Nigerian Police underwent major overhauls. However, the effects of such reform has not address the shortcomings of the police. This article seeks to examines the effects of the major overhauls.
What is more, reforming Nigeria’s police force will take a great deal, more efforts and commitments than has emerged in the previous years. To begin with there’s an urgent need to take a holistic measures of recruitments, funding and control. Unsurprisingly there is something dysfunctional about this. First, people are recruited on the basis of what is known in the local parlance as “Man-know-man”. Even if there are unqualified people, the situation is made worst by the compromises and corrupt tendencies in the top hierarchical of the police. It is for this reason you find police constables that can barely read or write.
Thus, for example the killings by officers and men of the Nigerian Police – two years after the #EndSARS protests, the Nigeria Police Force continues to inflict extortion and brutality on innocent citizens, as exemplified by the Christmas day tragedy. A Nigerian policeman on Sunday reportedly shot dead a legal practitioner, Mrs Omobolanle Raheem, while she was returning home from a Christmas service at Ajah Under-bridge. The role of any police institution is law enforcement and protection of the community.
In many contexts, Nigerians are usually subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment by the rogue elements of the Nigerian Police. Being part of existential problem, police reform aims to transform the values, culture, policies and practices of police organizations so that police can perform their duties – the efficacy or otherwise of these attempts remains debatable. Again, the Christmas day brutal assassination of a Lagos based legal practitioner, Mrs Omobolanle Raheem is a sad reality of the readiness for the vision For Policing In The 21th Century Post Digital Era.
The efficacy or otherwise of these attempts on reform and technologies focus of Nigerian Police remains debatable. Or more simply: how do you explain the situation in a broad daylight in the commercial capital city of Nigeria, by murderers in uniforms. Nigerians are in dire need of sincere approach to fundamental reforms, repositioning and efficient policing as we key into the fourth industrial revolution. Therefore, it has become imperative to set in motion and activate the process for a holistic police reform aims at transforming the values, culture, policies and practices of police organizations so that police can perform their duties in the global practice.
Finally, as we mourn the sad event of the Christmas day brutal assassination of Mrs Omobolanle Raheem, we join millions of our compatriots home and abroad to stand with the bereaved families across the nation, particularly the recent past few days. It is against this backdrop that we call on the National Assembly NASS to urgent consider the following:
• Declare a national emergency on security issues and brief the President C-in-C of the federal republic of Nigeria.
• Summon All the heads of Nigerian military high commands and the police force given the level of insecurity and heightened sense of hopelessness across the nation.
• The President C-in-C of the federal republic of Nigeria should consider it necessary to reassure the citizens of their safety and well-being.
Lastly, all of the above and other urgent measures must be activated to prevent a reoccurrence of another version of the EndSars.
Richard Odusanya
odusanyagold@gmail.com
