Police to Senate: We Collect Bribe to Augment Salary
From Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja
The rank and file of the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2 at the weekend told the Senate Commit-tee on Police Affairs that they demand bribe from Nigerians to augment the operational costs incurred in protecting lives and property.
This segment of the Police which comprises of constables, corporals, sergeants and inspectors told the Senator David Mark-led Committee that the Federal Government has failed in the funding of the Police and the only option available is to collect bribe "to take care of ourselves and run our daily operations."
The Senate Committee held separate interactive sessions with the rank and file as well as the officers as part of the 2004 budget performance oversight exercise.
At the Ogun State Command, the junior officers who were elated that the committee directed that their officers take their leave in order to have a frank discussion, took their turns to explain the "difficult conditions" under which they operate.
All the speakers were allowed to speak without giving their names or service numbers.
According to a constable, "I've just joined the Nigeria Police Force but I can say that I'm full of regrets. They accuse us of collecting bribe and I wonder why? We maintain the patrol vehicles attached to us to combat crime, we fuel them and if any of us is injured in an operation, we tax ourselves to treat that person.
"But if he is unlucky and dies in the process, the members of the NCO (Non Commissioned Officers) Mess would tax themselves and contribute money because we don't know who the next victim would be.
"They said there is N20,000 for burial expenses and we read that the Inspector General of Police said there is another N500,000. But in this state command, we have had at least eight cases of dead in which the family has not received a kobo. Since June last year, we have not received the said N20,000 talkless of the N500,000.
"Before we joined the Police, they told us that the salary of a constable is N17,000. I'm the first born of my family and I have other responsibilities that I cater for among those following me.
"If the federal government can give good salary if they see anybody on the road collecting bribe, whatever they like let them do to that policeman. But with a salary of N8,000 before deduction is made, I don't know how. If you (Senate Committee) can help us talk to our leaders, they should rescue us.
"We are protecting the lives of civilians but the Federal Government is not protecting our lives. We don't know what our tomorrow would be. We are Christians and Muslims in the Police and we know that God does not support bribery and corruption but if Federal Government failed to take care of our basic necessities and operational materials, how do we survive without the so-called bribe?, he asked amid applauds from the rank and file.
"It's a gory story to see policemen selling off their property to treat robbery injuries. Yet when we read the newspapers they say that constables earn N17,000. Where? If I die today the burden of burial is on my family and whatever I can collect," he said further.
Also at the interactive session of the Lagos State Command which held last Thursday at which the officers were also excused, a sergeant lamented "if one can't bring "returns" because we have many sections in the police, the policeman is removed from that "good" section and redployed while the person that can bring the "returns" is posted.
"Even the patrol vehicles they release to us, no matter how efficient on duty you may be, if you can't "maintain" the vehicle in your team, they would withdraw it from that team. In the Police today, they can issue 20 uniforms for 100 policemen and the distribution becomes the matter of whom you know and how preferential you are treated.
"Instead of getting a complete uniform, one person would go for uniform, another for crest, the rank etc and we would be left with no other option than going to the market to buy.
Another of the junior officers_ in Lagos admitted that Police in Nigeria is a symbol of corruption "but it has the internal mechanism to stop this. However, a policeman on patrol uses his money to buy fuel for the patrol van, repair the vehicle, cater for his own medical expenses. If he doesn't have money at the time of injury, he might bleed to death. It is not about how much they are paid but where the money goes.
"The Policeman has to be responbsible for the investigation of cases assigned to him and it takes at least a minimum of N3,000 to conclude a case file. We buy the bail bond forms and others. In the bid to effect arrest, we use our money, to take care and feed the accused, we use our money except you are still assisted by the other party in the matter.
"The police problem is monumental let us have positive action in arresting the problem," he said.
Also speaking, a sergeant told the shocked members of the committee that "we buy our uniforms from the open market because any policeman leaving the college gets one set of uniform but if you are not satisfied, you will buy from the market.
"Be it berret, button, boots, from the head to the toe, we buy them from the market and we give to the Police tailor to sew or we give any tailor that we like outside," the sergeant said.
Asked by the surprised members of the committee if one could get the Police uniform in an open market, the sergant restated the story adding that "even this include the Mopol uniforms. Any type you want, you will get in the market because that is where we buy."
Another Sergeant noted that "if you talk of corruption like my colleagues have said, if you are posted to a "good" place and you can't bring returns, we have many sections, and you will be recalled and redeployed while the favourite one who can "perform" takes the place.
"Even if they assign a patrol vehicle to you, if you can't maintain that vehicle, you are removed. In the Poloice today, they issue 20 uniforms for 100 policemen and the distribution would now depend on whom you know or how prefentially treated you are.
"At the end of the day, instead of complete uniform, somebody will go for the uniform, one person would go for the crest, another for the rank etc. and whoever is not satisfied would go to the market to buy."Today, the Nigeria Police is the nation's symbol of corruption but ithas the internal mechanism to stop this but a Policeman on patrol uses his money to buy fuel, repair the patrol van, cater for medical expenses. If you don't have money in the time of injury, you may bleed to death. It is not about how much we are paid but where does the money go?
"If we look at the investigation of cases, it takes a minimum of N3,000 to finish a case file. We buy the bail bond and others. To arrest, we use our money, to take care and feed the accused, we use our money except you are assisted by the other party in the matter. The Police problem is monumental. Let's have a positive action in arresting the problem.
Another Sergeant, who holds an HND, argued that "the authority does not care about how the job is done but we must do the job. Accidental discharge is as a result of mental torture that we suffer.
"This administration approved employment of 40, 000 policemen but if you must raise 40,000 goats or sheeps, you must make provision for their manger and where they would graze. How a Mopol transfered to Lagos from Maiduguri would survive is not their problem. He has no salary until he is posted to the roadblock.
"If the Police is corrupt, then Nigeria is responsible. How many of us have the opportunities of ebing orderlies or are close to power yet we must survive," he said.
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