The notoriety with which some unscrupulous elements within our security services kill with reckless abandon at slightest provocation is alarming. This trigger-happy elements within the services have brought so much shame upon some of these organizations that Nigerians should be proud of. The Police institution is one that is highly respected in civilized countries of the world not because it is forced on people to do so, but because they earn it through their civil interaction, civil approach and their human right records while dealing with their citizens.
While we daily pray that the Nigeria Police Force should be like the good police institutions we see elsewhere, we should understand that the police personnel everywhere are products of the society with which they find themselves. That is, if the society is good, their police will be good and vice versa. The relationship between the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian people has remained a sour one and will continue to remain so because of the attitude of the Police towards the people and the attitude of the people towards the police. It is just that way if we want to tell ourselves the truth.
In the western world we admire their Police so much, when once the police pronounce, "you are under arrest" whether rightly or wrongly, the first thing you do is to stop and put your hand on your head for them to do their work.
HOW DID KOLADE JOHNSON DIED?
The Anti-cult unit of the Lagos State police command went to arrest a young man with dreads who they suspected to May have been a cultist and were resisted by the people around who trooped out to make sure the young man is not arrested. In the middle of the struggle, the policemen started firing and a stray bullet went and hit Kolade Johnson an innocent young man in a viewing centre where he was watching football. An action led to reaction and produced an innocent victim.
The unprofessional handling of gun by the policemen involved in this, case calls for serious concern not just to the citizenry but also to the federal government and the police as an organization. How could they not know how to fire without killing? This therefore calls for immediate training and retraining of our security personnel not just the police in weapon handling. While we blame the Police Operatives involved in this operation for a very reckless attitude and call for justice, we should also warn our selves about this insane notion, "Go e no go shoot". This has been some of the insane risk some of our youths and other citizens do take while confronting security operatives, you hear them most times say "fire if you can". Brethren, it is only a mad man/woman that challenges a man/woman with gun because that could be your shortest way to the grave and when it happens, the living will stay and argue the rightness and wrongness of the killing and condolences will be paid.
While the citizens obeys the police "You are under arrest" in other civilized countries knowing fully well that if the police infringes on their right, there are laws that will enable them sue for their rights and claim damages, Nigeria is a totally different place where such rights could be infringe on and nothing will happen. In fact, we are in a country where government's impunity is carried out by the security services and this has boldened the attitude of some conscienceless operatives within the security services. While there are very bad people within the Police Force and other Security Organizations, there are also very good ones amongst them. The attitude of the bad ones is what has not allowed us to see the good ones until you have encounter with them too.
In all, we must put pressure on our government to immediately reform the Nigeria Police Force and other Security agencies to make them more proficient in weapons handling and more professional in delivering their services to the populace. Our government should uphold the rule of law and obey court orders and that will send strong signal to our security agencies that there are prices for every wrong step taken.
MAY THE SOUL OF KOLADE JOHNSON AND OTHER FAITHFULS DEPARTED, REST WITH THE LORD, AMEN
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