*Photo used for illustrative purpose*
Our policemen are widely seen as ignorant, corrupt, unprofessional, inefficient and uncultured law enforcement agents who ride on citizens and also exhibit some disgraceful habits in public places which are mentioned below
1. Drinking and Smoking Irresponsibly
It's very degrading to see an ASP cadre officer in uniform gulping beer and completely drunk at beer palour. Many a times, they will mobilize themselves to a local herbal shop just to drink jedi and smoke marijuana. That's why we often hear cases of policemen who got drunk and shoot people dead. This disgraceful habit is very common with police officials in remote areas.
2. Incessant Hailing of Politicians and Wealthy Men
Most policemen, out of stomach infrastructure, shamelessly hail politicians and wealthy men at check points. You will see their two hands in the air shouting "baba ooooo" at the top of their voice. Sometimes, some of them escorts these wealthy men with koboko for the sake of providing safety to them, and will be flogging innocent drivers who fail to maintain their lane or give way.
3. Womanizing in line of Duty
According to reports, many policemen have used
duress to snatch other people's house wives and girlfriends at check points. I could recount my ugly experience with some police officers when traveling with my okada alongside my girlfriend all the way from Ado-Ekiti to Lagos. We were arrested for over speeding by some police officers stationed at the Shagamu when one of them took my girlfriend to an isolated place and began to propose to her with AK47. I was just wailing inside of me but couldn't utter a word because any statement uttered would make them seize my okada and make false allegations against me at the station.
4. Arresting without warrant
Police, who are nicknamed the friend of the people, are even our enemies who are fond of arresting civilians without warrant. In Lagos, policemen raise money by patrolling from street to street with danfo bus, thereby, arresting any young man spotted with iPhone or laptop bag as they're seem as yahoo boys. I think it's about that time the govt intervenes in the injustice policemen perpetuate on innocent citizens
5. Passing one-way Route
I know many will agree with me that, policemen, who are meant to enforce laws are even non-adherence to traffic laws. They cause traffic congestion by taking one-way route and will look for a scape goat that will suffer for it.
6. Chasing Commuters/Motorists For Bribes
Many of them have even lost their lives when chasing commuters and motorists on the expressway. When a motorist tries to run from them in order to avoid giving bribe, they will chase him and clip unto his vehicle without the fear of an oncoming trailer. This disgraceful habit is very common with police officials at Ojuelegba, Isolo, Oshodi, etc.
7. Urinating and Defecating in public places
As funny as it sounds, some of them are as guilty as agbero boys who defecate and pee on expressway without even minding if ladies are looking at their joysticks. I think the govt should be blamed for not installing adequate toilets at police stations
8. Visiting the Brothel in Uniform
Don't get me wrong cos I'm not trying to say that it's a crime for a policeman to use his joystick judiciously on prostitutes after a strenuous day at work. All I'm trying to say is that it's very bad to carry out this barbaric act in uniform.The Nigerian Police Force really needs to clean up its image by taking disciplinary action against any policeman who visits the brothel in uniform.
9. Threatening To Shoot Civilians At Any Slight Provocation
We all know that many of them automatically become gods as long as they're carrying guns. They'reusually very quick to threaten to kill any civilian who is culturally familiar with his or her constitutional rights, or those who argue with them. Disciplinary action really needs to be taken against any erring officer who shoots nor kill civilians over irrelevant things
10. Unraveling people's Secret
During investigation, some of them try to distress from the subject matter and will be asking irrelevant questions. This reminds me when a police officer harassed me as a suspected yahoo boy. He went as far as checking my phone contacts and wallet, only for him to find a condom in it. He began to preach to me that God frowns against premarital sex and I explained to him that I'm born again and sexually restrained until wedding night and that I only kept the condom in my wallet till my wedding night. He bundled me into the police van and took me to the station as a potential rapist.
