The reported plan of the Lagos State Police Command to revive evening patrolling by its personnel ought to come as heartening information to the individuals of Lagos specifically and Nigerians usually who’re craving for a significant reform of the police and their legislation enforcement actions.
Usually, the execution of the lawful actions of the police in defending lives and property from criminals is supposed to proceed day and evening, particularly since criminals haven’t any mounted time or interval to commit crimes. And so it has remained till lately, following the foremost outcry in opposition to police irregularities, epitomized by the #EndSARS marketing campaign in opposition to police brutality. Since then, the police drive has fallen right into a deep slumber in most components of the nation.
Definitely, the large losses suffered by the police through the #EndSARS protest have dealt a critical blow to their confidence. Due to this fact, the media report on the plan to revive evening patrols is to be welcomed. The thought was credited to the brand new Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fayoade Adegoke; however Nigerians might be happier if the plan isn’t just actual, and never simply media hype; but additionally whether it is half of a bigger design to reform the police, wake them from their slumber and get them to hold out their constitutional mandate to safeguard lives and properties of Nigerians wherever they could be and at any time of the day and evening.
Finally, the nation's police drive can attain its optimum degree of effectivity whether it is decentralized into regional or state police forces. That is the most probably reform that won’t solely guarantee ample funding for the police, but additionally improve their effectivity to a degree akin to that of police forces in revered international locations.
Instantly following the 2020 #EndSARS protest organized by the youth throughout the nation in opposition to police brutality and different illegalities, police presence in Lagos and the nation started to considerably lower, with law enforcement officials absent from giant areas together with places which are infamous for legal actions, making individuals and property extra weak to assaults by gangsters.
In broad daylight, criminals who observed the absence of law enforcement officials in lots of locations took benefit of the state of affairs to freely perform their nefarious actions, making life uncomfortable for Lagos residents. This led to frequent complaints from Lagosians who accused the police of abdicating their constitutional duty to guard the lives and property of residents. The revival of evening patrols is anticipated to revive hope for Nigerians whose every day routines typically prolong into the late hours of the evening.
The Police Act specifies the capabilities of the police as stopping and detecting crimes, and defending the rights and freedom of each particular person in Nigeria, as supplied for within the Structure, the African Constitution on Human and Peoples' Rights and another legislation: sustaining public security; defending the life and property of each particular person in Nigeria; imposing all legal guidelines and rules, with out prejudice to the authorization acts of different safety providers; cooperate with different authorities to take all vital measures and supply required help or assist to individuals in want, together with victims of highway accidents, hearth disasters, earthquakes and floods; and facilitating free passage and motion on highways, roads and streets open to the general public.
In 1992, a particular unit of the Nigeria Police Drive (NPF) referred to as Particular Anti-Theft Squad (SARS) was established to sort out the escalating crimes together with armed theft, motorcar theft, kidnapping, cattle rustling and unlawful possession of firearms. However over time, SARS turned controversial resulting from its alleged hyperlinks to extrajudicial killings, extortion, torture, kidnapping, dishonest, blackmail, unlawful organ trafficking, armed theft, residence invasions and different vices. In 2020, the youth lastly declared their whole lack of religion in SARS once they staged an unprecedented and well-coordinated protest throughout the nation, calling for the dissolution of the police unit.
The aftermath of that protest pushed the police drive to an all-time low, permitting all types of crime, particularly at evening, to flourish. The media typically experiences the travails of some Lagos residents by the hands of legal components. For instance, it has change into harmful for drivers and homeowners of automobiles that break down on the highway.
Out of nowhere, each at evening and in broad daylight, criminals rushed upon the car's occupants to extort or expropriate valuables from them. Victims are additionally at excessive danger of significant damage. Motorists caught in visitors are additionally routinely attacked by highway robbers and forcibly robbed of their cash, cellphones and different valuables, generally significantly damaging their automobiles. Folks have reportedly been killed in such assaults, partly as a result of there have been no police personnel round to discourage the criminals.
It’s placing that the providers supplied by law enforcement officials normally happen in areas the place legal actions will not be rampant. The visibility of the police in all nooks and crannies of native governments, states and the Federal Capital Territory is essential for the efficient prevention and tackling of legal actions and for the upkeep of peace and order. It additionally weakens the urge to commit crimes for concern of being caught and dealing with the wrath of the legislation. Within the absence of safety personnel, the harmless individuals change into extra weak to the heinous actions of criminals.
Right this moment, Nigeria witnesses a excessive degree of crime because the variety of safety personnel within the nation is simply too small to successfully defend its rising inhabitants. There are nonetheless many cities and villages with no police station or police publish. Even in lots of locations the place they’re accessible, safety amenities will not be adequately staffed and outfitted to confront and suppress criminals recognized to hold extra refined weapons.
This is among the causes for the sharp name for the state police, hoping that the personnel might be extra seen all over the place and carry out their duties extra diligently for a extra peaceable and protected atmosphere.
Let the police resume evening and day patrols in Lagos and different components of the nation. Adegoke and different state commissioners of police have the duty to make sure that police motion is geared toward stopping and combating crimes and never at extorting the individuals, violating their primary human rights or committing illegality.
