Views from the street:
Beggars, artisans, traders, task Onovo to stop police extortion,
killings in 2010
From MURPHY GANAGANA and BAYO OBISESAN, Abuja
Monday, January 4,
2010
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•Onovo
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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They belong to the lower rung of the societal ladder, but
in most cases bear the brunt of transferred aggression by
overzealous law enforcement agents in the country, especially
policemen. Literarily an endangered specie, commercial
motorbike operators, artisans, traders, and beggars battling
daily for survival in the Federal Capital Territory [FCT],
still have a pleasant surprise for the police.
Amidst reservations on the performance of the police in the
previous year, they are, however, optimistic that given the
necessary logistics, the Nigeria police would checkmate violent
crimes especially armed robbery to a tolerable level in 2010,
even as they hold divergent expectations of the police in
the New Year.
But they are united in an emotional request to the Inspector-General
of Police, IGP Ogbonnaya Onovo: To halt the increasing spate
of extra-judicial killing of innocent citizens by his officers
and men, as well as extortion of motorists on the highways.
Daily Sun captured their reactions in separate chats last
week in Abuja. Excerpts:
For 25-year-old Usman Umar, a petty trader, who hails from
Kogi State, “The Police really tried in the previous
year in terms of combating crimes. But they should desist
from extorting money from the downtrodden. They should focus
more on combating crimes in the New Year”.
Alfa Taiwo, 38, is an automobile mechanic and hails from Oke-Oyi
Local Government Area of Kwara State. He says while much is
expected from the police in 2010, government should provide
the force with modern equipment to ease their job. “The
police are trying, but much is still expected of them”,
he noted.
Aishatu Kudi, is a 42-year-old physically challenged mother
of three, and begs for alms to cater for her children at a
popular motor park in the outskirts of Abuja where she resides.
She said: “The IGP should direct the FCT Police Commissioner
to ensure that security is not provided for only the rich
in the high-brow Abuja city centre, but also extended to the
suburbs where crime rate, especially armed robbery is on the
increase. The situation is becoming worrisome because the
hoodlums no longer spare anybody, not even me, a crippled
beggar, begging daily for alms to survive with my children.
This is my passionate appeal to the IGP this New Year”.
On his part, a commercial motorcycle rider from Taraba State,
who does not want his name in print, says although officers
and men of the Nigeria police need re-orientation, they’ve
been neglected for too long. “Kudos to the present IGP
for what he is doing; may God grant him the wisdom to carry
on with his good work in 2010”.
Abdullahi Musa, 32, is a shoe mender and an indigene of Kano
State. He says, “The police should continue to do their
job how best they know how to do it, and Allah will judge
them accordingly. They should stop killing innocent people
arbitrarily”.
Abia state-born Chukwuma, 36, does not share the view of the
IGP, Ogbonnaya Onovo that crimes had reduced drastically across
the country especially in the last quarter of 2009. According
to him, “the crime rate has not reduced as posited,
but criminals have merely changed tactics from armed robbery
to kidnapping. It is not true that the Nigeria Police Force
has reduced the rate of armed robbery in Nigeria, and this
is one critical area I want the IGP to focus on in the New
Year”
Joshua, a 40-year-old Mechanical Engineer, who hails from
Bokko Local Government Area of Plateau State agrees that crime,
especially armed robbery has reduced drastically in the Abuja
metropolis. But he is worried at the level of extortion still
going on. “I know that crime has reduced in Abuja. When
last did we hear of armed robbery in the City Centre? I think
people have begun to build confidence in the Nigeria police.
But a lot of extortion is still going on in some quarters,
and the IGP should check this trend in 2010. For the previous
year, they tried their best. However, they need to be more
equipped to meet the challenges ahead”.
Pastor Peter is an indigene of Edo State, resident in Abuja.
He says the police deserve kudos for their performance during
the Yuletide season. “In fact with the current performance
of the Nigeria police, the sky is their limit. Throughout
this Christmas celebrations, there was no reported case of
armed robbery or burglary in Abuja; it was indeed a crime-free
Yuletide except for
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