POLICE BRUTALITY: MASSES NOW FEAR POLICE MORE THAN UNKNOWN GUNMEN
In a society where peace and order are to be maintained by law enforcement agents, the very institution meant to protect lives and property has become a source of dread. The Nigerian Police Force, once perceived as the first line of defense against crime and lawlessness, has now become a symbol of unchecked brutality, daily harassment, and extortion.
Today, many Nigerians, especially in the rural and suburban areas, fear the police more than the so-called unknown gunmen. This reality is tragic, disturbing, and utterly unacceptable in any nation that claims to be governed by the rule of law.
A SYSTEM OF FEAR, NOT PROTECTION
Countless citizens have harrowing stories of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, beatings, and even killings. Medical professionals on emergency duty are stopped and extorted. Youths are profiled based on their hairstyles, phones, or mode of dressing. Riders are forced to produce receipts for their motorcycles or pay outrageous bribes. Traders are harassed, and commuters are stopped and searched without cause.
One such disturbing experience occurred on July 24th, 2025, during a medical mission from Ette (Enugu State) to Ankpa (Kogi State). I was traveling with my medical license, a referral note, and a patient in need of urgent treatment. Before reaching Ankpa town—around Ikanekpo—I was stopped at a police checkpoint. Despite presenting my ID card and medical documents, one of the officers demanded ₦5,000, claiming that I had no receipt for the motorcycle.
When I explained the urgency of the medical case, another officer began pleading on my behalf. Shockingly, the officer demanding the bribe insulted his colleague for showing compassion and questioned my integrity, asking, “If it is truly an emergency, why are you wearing clothes? Why didn’t you go naked?”
Even more terrifying was what I personally witnessed at that same checkpoint. As I stood there—flesh and blood, physically present—I saw this same officer acting like a bandit in uniform. Each time a motorcycle approached, he would point his gun at them, cracking it as if ready to shoot. If a rider hesitated or attempted to pass without stopping, he would slam the gun on the back of the carrier—an act of open violence and intimidation. This was not policing. It was pure lawlessness carried out under the protection of the state uniform.
It is terrifying to imagine that even medical emergencies are no longer respected. When healthcare professionals are delayed, insulted, and extorted during a rescue mission, what does that say about our nation’s priorities?
WHO ARE THE REAL TERRORS?
While unknown gunmen operate mostly in shadows, the police operate in broad daylight, in uniform, on public roads, wielding guns and unchecked authority. A criminal may strike once and vanish, but a police officer may harass a civilian multiple times a week, in the same location, with no repercussions.
This is why Nigerians now ask: Who should we be more afraid of? The criminals in the bush, or those on our roads in uniform?
INSTITUTIONAL FAILURE AND GOVERNMENT SILENCE
The complicity of silence from those in power has worsened the situation. While countless videos, petitions, and public outcries flood social media daily, the government does little more than issue occasional statements of “investigation.” Justice is slow, if it comes at all. Victims of brutality are rarely compensated. Offending officers are often transferred rather than prosecuted.
#As the Voice of the People, I must ask: when will our leaders act? When will reforms go beyond paper and press releases?
WE DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY
We demand the immediate implementation of a national police reform agenda.
We demand body cameras and live recording devices at all checkpoints.
We demand clear penalties for extortion and harassment.
We demand that police officers be trained not just in firearms, but in human rights and emergency ethics.
We demand that medical professionals and emergency workers be protected under the law.
CONCLUSION
A nation that allows its protectors to become oppressors is a nation on the brink of collapse. We must no longer be silent. The Nigerian people deserve a police force that serves with dignity, not fear.
The streets should not be battlegrounds. The uniforms should not inspire terror. And the people should not feel safer in the hands of criminals than in the hands of the law.
It is time to reclaim our safety. It is time to demand true justice.
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