If crime continues to fester in the country despite the protestations of officialdom, we warned in various editorials, it is because there are usually no consequences for egregious behaviour. Over the years, we have found no reason to alter this conclusion, and the recent incident involving four police personnel in Abuja who robbed their way into trouble only serves to illustrate the accuracy of our observation. According to reports, the errant policemen decided to turn yet another checkpoint in Banex, Wuse, Abuja, into an extortion arena and fleeced, of all persons, the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu, SAN!

According to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, the officers had abandoned their posts to form a mini-extortion syndicate. They flagged down Dr Aliyu, demanded for his vehicle papers, then cooked up an excuse to extort money from him. Completely unaware of who they were dealing with, they dragged him to a nearby POS operator where, at their prompting, he withdrew the sum of N53,000 to bail himself out of trouble. He even paid the transaction charges before the extortioners shared the money among themselves.

If the commissioner was angered by the incident, that anger was palpable in the manner he addressed it. He described the policemen as thieves who had no business wearing the police uniform. He added: “They are a gang of criminals who left various divisions, clustered together, and moved to Wuse Banex and created a checkpoint where they perpetrated this act before fleeing. We got all of them. We are going to make sure they are severely punished. Those that are going to be dismissed will definitely be dismissed. You cannot stop anybody on the road and ask the person to bring out his phone for search. If any policeman stops you and asks to search your phone, don’t agree. Call the police emergency lines and we will ask them why. We will still enforce the IG’s directive. Some of them are on the task because they are criminally minded. They want to perpetrate such acts. If we get them, they will face disciplinary actions and will be made to face the consequences.”

This, no doubt, is a good move by the police. Policemen extorting money from drivers on the road are not just doing the force a disservice; they are battering the country’s already sullied image. In the current incident, as in many others, the police personnel assumed omnibus powers over hapless citizens at gunpoint. The idea, namely that the victims either cooperate or get roped into crimes they knew nothing about, is extremely perverse, but that has been the lot of innocent citizens for years. No doubt, the profile of the victim seems to have weighed heavily on the present case. But what if he had been an ordinary Nigerian, particularly one who lacked the courage to take the matter up with the police authorities? Would the incident not have passed off as yet another unreported case of checkpoint extortion? And what if the driver flagged down in this case was actually a criminal poised to bribe his way through that checkpoint? In all probability, he would have navigated that spot with ease, and gone on to do whatever his criminal mind dictated as the next course of action, confident in the belief that the law isn’t catching up with him anytime soon. This cannot be the way to keep the Nigerian public safe.

In fairness to the police authorities, though, they have been taking action on reported cases, from Lagos to Abuja. But more evidently needs to be done. The issue should not be about who was robbed of their hard-earned money; it should be about the total absence of extortion on the roads. That is the crux of the matter. When law-abiding citizens approach police checkpoints, they should do so in the assurance that they are not going to experience any hassles whatsoever. They have the right to expect to be treated with dignity and courtesy. As a matter of fact, in an ideal situation, a stoppage at a police checkpoint should provide an opportunity for road users and the police to interact in a courteous, friendly manner. It is a no-brainer that if interacting with the police at a checkpoint or any other place potentially means trouble whether or not you are law-abiding, then fostering a cooperative and productive relationship between the police and the public becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible. When people have useful information that will help the police in their duties, they will withhold it out of fear or resentment.

The prognosis can lead to only one conclusion: there is still a lot for the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and his team to do in ridding the force of bad eggs. While we are not saying people should not be subjected to interrogation at checkpoints, regardless of their status, we are resolutely against extortion. If members of the force are to serve and protect with integrity, like the authorities are wont to say, they cannot do so in a climate of distrust. In this regard, we urge the leadership to launch a renewed onslaught on corruption and corrupt practices within the force. They can use espionage tactics to rid the force of corrupt personnel. The IGP should set up unmarked monitoring units and give them all the resources they need to do a fantastic job.

Nonetheless, we commend the police for the swift response in this case. That response is extremely strong, clear and unambiguous, and that is the way it should be. It is axiomatic that if all cases of police misbehaviour attracted such swift and decisive response, the situation in the force would be much saner. It is true that the police are not paid fantastic salaries, but when you join the force, you have committed yourself to service, and cannot engage in extortion of any kind. Besides, the fact is not hidden that the government has approved allowances for the men at checkpoints. The superiors should, however, not sit on those allowances. They should not give any cause for errant policemen to batter the integrity of the force. Needless to say, the suspects arrested in connection with the current case should be prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Update news