The gruesome killing of a pregnant female lawyer, Mrs. Omobolanle Raheem, by a policeman attached to the Ajiwe Police Station in Ajah area of Lagos State on Christmas day has elicited public outrage. The victim and the spouse were said to be returning from church service when the incident occurred.
The heinous murder has been condemned by Nigerians, including politicians, lawyers and civil society organisations. The extra-judicial killing of Raheem is a sad reminder of police brutality that engendered the EndSARS protests of October 2020 by Nigerian youths. It is clear now that the Nigeria police did not learn anything from the EndSARS movement.
The killing of Raheem has demonstrated that police reforms following the EndSARS revolution were ineffective. It also signifies the return of police excesses and lawlessness in Lagos State, where young people are daily harassed, intimidated and extorted by policemen. In many states across the country, especially Lagos and Imo, youths are daily harassed and intimidated by unruly and aggressive policemen and accused of sundry crimes.
Ajiwe Police Station has been in the news of late for wrong reason. Some weeks ago, a young man was brutally killed by some policemen from the same station. Up till now, the killer of that young man has not been prosecuted. And if nothing is done now to bring him to book, the matter will soon be swept under the carpet in the usual Nigerian manner.
The Federal Government, the Lagos State government, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and human rights groups must ensure that the killing of Raheem is diligently prosecuted and brought to a logical conclusion. The best way to ensure justice for Raheem is to make sure that the matter is quickly dispensed because justice delayed is justice denied. In Nigeria, murder cases are usually allowed to drag so long to the extent that the families of the victims give up. This should not be the case for Omobolanle Raheem.
We condemn the willful murder of Raheem and call for proper investigation of the matter, with a view to ensuring justice for the deceased. While it is good that the perpetrator of the crime has been arrested, he should be prosecuted forthwith. Also, the policeman from that station that killed a young man some weeks ago must also be prosecuted. It is when such matters are diligently prosecuted and the perpetrators punished that justice will be served and seen to be served.
Extra-judicial killings by policemen persist simply because the culprits are not adequately punished. Sweeping such matters under the carpet has emboldened policemen to engage in extra-judicial killings. They indulge in such criminality because nothing will happen to them. They see themselves as sacred cows or untouchables and act as if they are above the law.
The growing police brutality is a wake-up call on the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force to holistically reform the decaying force. Apart from equipping the police adequately, there is need for training and retraining of officers and men of Nigeria police, especially in gun handling and relations with the civil society. The police should treat Nigerians with respect and dignity. Many of our policemen are not psychologically and mentally equipped to withstand the stress of the job.
That is why some of them reportedly depend on drugs and alcohol while on duty. All policemen must be conversant with the standard procedures of rules of engagement. The recruitment system of Nigeria Police needs to be urgently reviewed to ensure that people with criminal tendencies do not enter the force. Although the welfare package of an average cop in Nigeria is yet to reach the global standard, it does not justify the endemic corruption in the force. This is also not, however, enough for policemen to use it to harass and extort Nigerians at check points.
The seeming return of police lawlessness has underscored the need for them to undergo psychiatric evaluation to determine their suitability for continuing with the highly stressful job. The Nigeria policemen frequently violate the established rules of engagement in their dealings with Nigerian citizens. The Nigeria Police still behave as a colonial institution. That is why the call for restructuring of the force has become more imperative now than ever before. The decentralisation of the police will make the force more efficient to tackle the growing insecurity. Having different layers of policing will, to a large extent, curb the incessant corruption and lawlessness in the force.
We commiserate with the family of Raheem and urge the government to compensate them. Above all, the government must ensure justice for the deceased.