POLICE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND AND MIGHT NEVER BE (Part I). By Philip Dimka

I cannot trace back to the roots of the popular Nigerian adage that says “Police is your Friend”. I am sure it has been around for quite long now. I have seen the sign Post in some few Nigerian Movies (that I no longer watch except recommended), but I don’t remember seeing it in person as I seldom make visits to Police Outpost.

The experiences I have had by way of being a witness to some scenarios involving the Nigerian Police and ordinary civilians have left me wondering whether police is actually your friend.

The recent experience I had happened earlier this week and I think I want to sue some policemen. Solomon Gyang, Martins Obla & Mapis Mathias Mandong, advise me appropriately, please.

I accompanied a friend to receive some money from a Nigerian Police Outpost, which they helped him collect by way of mediation from a contract defaulter. After waiting for a few minutes, the officer in-charge arrived and walked into his office. He called out to my friend who went in to collect the money.

I wish I can write the conversation that followed but that will be a waste of time. I also wished I had recorded the conversation, but thanks to Chopstixx Zamani, you know what happened to my phone.

All the same the officer in-charge insisted my friend (who is actually receiving the money on behalf of a friend of ours who is not in town) must give him some part of the money. It was like, “you mean you will not give us some money for our effort? No, no, that’s impossible!” “We are not giving you this money until we agree on how much you are giving us”. “You mean after all we went through to collect this money, you’re just going to walk away?” “In fact, call him (referring to our main guy) on phone so he tells us how much is ours”. And the conversation continued all the while being supported by a second police officer.

After hearing the conversation from where I was sitting, I was already disappointment and filled with disgust for the Nigerian Police and Justice systems. What is supposed to be their job? Are they not paid to do their jobs? Like you have to pay the Nigerian Police any time they fight your for your cause? Who then will protect us from the evil of the street?

Trust me I would have published their names if they were putting on their uniforms. As you already know, they seldom do and no one is saying anything about it.

I really want to do something about this! We cannot allow things like this to go on in our local communities for if we do the circle of corruption will never end.

Now, this is not to say there are no good policemen out there, I’m saying the system has been compromised and WE THE PEOPLE must wake up, begin to correct these ills and rebuild the fabrics of our torn communities.

The next time you want to go report a case in the nearest Police Outpost, be mindful: Police is not your friend, they might never be.

I rest my keypad.