Corruption: When police arrest police for extortion By Bola Ojuola
It is no longer news that the Nigerian nation has been declared as the third most corrupt in the world. No thanks to the 2004 rating by the Transparency International (IT).
Although, the federal government came out to challenge the report, some of many Nigerians were surprised that Nigeria did not come on top given the abject decay. A copious picture of the nature of the corruption situation in Nigeria, though abound everywhere, but the intensity of the trend is seemingly most graphic in a few government establishments, especially the police.
Some weeks ago, the Lagos State commissioner of police, Mr. Israel Ajao paraded some policemen before journalists at the Lagos State police command, Ikeja. They were arrested at various locations of the state where they were allegedly extorting money from motorists.
Ajao told journalists at the occasion, that the move was in compliance with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tafa Balogun, to constantly and persistently crack down on corrupt elements in the force.
“The Lagos State command has continued this efforts to bring to book all officers and men who still indulge in the dirty habit of extorting money from members of the public. More annoying is the fact that such acts of corruption take place in public places like highways,” said Ajao.
Those arrested and paraded include 24 policemen and three civilian collaborators. “They were caught with squeezed naira notes in different denominations, suggesting that such monies were extorted from the public,” added the police commissioner.
The act of these corrupt officers, Ajao also said, has led to a situation where the Nigerian policeman is treated with disdain. We want to ensure that we put a stop to it and create a people friendly police.
While Ajao insisted that the arrested men would go through the orderly room trial and later dismissed from the force if found guilty, some journalists came to the rescue, pleading that the men should be retained but punished since they are trained individuals who can now handle weapons. If thrown to the labour market, argued the journalists, there may arise a situation where they will turn the gun back on innocent Nigerians.
To the plea, the CP said, he would pass the message to appropriate quarters for consideration. Also recently in Abuja, the IGP, Tafa Balogun at a press briefing stated that more than 933 persons comprising policemen members of other organisations as well as civilians have been arrested in connection with extortion of money from motorists since the intensive activities of the force anti-corruption squad commenced almost two years ago.
They include 59 policemen, seven Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), 23 civilians. A total sum of 30, 858 naira was recovered from them.
Just as at the IGP team continued its crackdown on these officers, it would be recalled that a police sergeant had told the minister of police affairs, Mr. Broderick Bozimo, sometime last year in Lagos that they cannot stop the collection of N20 at check points.
The minister who came on a visit to Lagos was made to understand that all the allowances and monies meant for the rank and file and for maintenance work in the force hardly get to them.
“We survive on the little we get to even fuel our vehicles,” said the policeman. He also alleged that in most cases they had to report back to their superiors after extorting money at the checkpoints.
Visibly shaken, the then Lagos State commissioner of police, Mr. Young Arabamen, ordered his men to collect the microphone from the police sergeant, failure to respond immediately saw Arabamen jumping to his feet as he moved to snatch the microphone from him but the minister appealed to Arab-amen to allow the man bare his mind.
Also last year, a weekly magazine came out with a cover story entitled: “The Greedy Police Boss,” outlining facts and figures, corrupt practices the number one policeman of the country was alleged to have committed.
Although the story was denied, but most journalists on the crime beat knew that the power of Ghana- Must-Go bags helped to lay the matter to rest.
Even among government officials, the so-called legislators and the powerful in the ruling houses, corruption seemed to be the norm.
Just last week in Akute area of Ogun State or rather a suburb of Lagos, some residents of a house came out to attack workers of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). In fact, a female worker attached to a NEPA substation was beaten up by an angry customer for corrupt practices. While government may have tried in establishing institutions such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) among others, to deal with the issue of corruption, the situation on ground suggest that they are merely scratching the surface.
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