According to the 2016 World Internal Security and Police Index (WISPI), the Nigeria Police under the leadership of Ibrahim Idris is the worst in the world.
This classification of the Nigeria Police did not come to Nigerians as a surprise. As Nigerians, we know that the Nigeria Police has degenerated beyond all imaginations. It has become the shame of a great nation. An agency horribly notorious for crime, indecency , lawlessness and barefaced robbery.
The Nigeria Police has become the headquarters of anti-people volcanic eruption of terror on a daily under the ill-guidance of Ibrahim Idris as Inspector General of Police.
This is expected. Idris became IGP strictly on the 2015 APC election reward agenda. He superintended over the 1.9million curious votes in Kano State and the unexplained massacre of the family of the Resident Electoral Commissioner. Remember, over 25 Policemen were on guard at the home of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, when he was killed in highly questionable circumstances. IGP Idris emerged and the police descended into the pit of extreme retrogression.
When the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike raised the alarm on the kidnappings and armed robbery perpetrated by SARs in Rivers State, it was with utmost responsibility and good conscience. He was armed with the signal that was sent to IGP Idris by the IGP X Squad on the activities of the Special Anti-robbery Squad in the state.
The Official Police Signal with the title: “Police Wireless Message ” and Reference Number DT0: 121030/09/2017 —INGENPOL-X-FHQ ABUJA TO-INGENPOL SEC ABUJA, noted that the squad received a distress call on the kidnap of Mr Ifeanyi and immediately swung into action. According to the signal, they met the three SARS operatives robbing and a gun duel ensued. The operatives had taken Mr Ifeanyi to a Fidelity Bank ATM where they compelled him to withdraw the ransom ”
As Chief Security Officer (Governor Wike prefers Chief Logistics Officer because of his actual roles), Governor Wike had access to this official signal and resolved to help the country resolve the SARs criminality. Rather than act, IGP Idris, dismissed it as nonsense and refused to reform the killer squad.
In Rivers State, the notoriety of SARs is deep and unfortunate. They kill and maim with reckless abandon. They operate in ways that make armed robbers look like saints. Under the cover of the police, they unleash mayhem on weak members of the public.
They killed a taxi driver in Emohua and branded him a cultist. They stole bags of gari from poor market at Ahoada the other day at gun-point and they snuffed life out of a nine year street trader at Eleme. SARS operatives killed three Ogoni youths for daring to question them as they vandalised pipelines in the area. SARs in company of Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi breached the convoy of the Rivers State Governor.
The Commander of SARs in Rivers State, Akin Fakorede was caught on camera mishandling INEC officials after failed attempts to snatch results at the Rivers East Senatorial District Collation Centre. Fakorede and the Police would later manufacture results which the APC tendered at the Tribunal for the theft of the Rivers East Senatorial District mandate.
When SARS in other states saw that Rivers SARS received encouragement from IGP Idris to unleash terror on the popular, they joined the show of shame. On a daily basis, stories of the brutality and criminality of SARS became part of the ugly existence of Nigerians.
The sad aspect is that the Police High Command has structured SARs in a manner that they cannot be held to account. At times, they wear black uniforms like vigilante groups with FSARS written on them. These black vigilante uniforms have no name tags or police personal numbers. The intent is for them to “kill and go”. At other times, they dress in mufti, holding AK 47, Machetes, Daggers, Indian Hemp and clubs. They appear like the regular armed robber.
Nationwide, people resolved to put an to this national sad commentary. The EndSARs movement was born. This is entirely a citizen driven effort to restore security across the country.
Naturally, the beneficiaries of SARs criminality resolved to team up with IGP Idris to protect their estate of the absurd.
On Monday 11th December, 2017, Rivers APC leaders under the protection of SARs operatives marched to the Police Headquarters to declare their support for SARs. They displayed several banners witg different inscriptions. The most shameful of the banners bore the face of the Rivers State SARS Commander, Akin Fakorede.
It read: “Support SARS Commander for a better Rivers State “. This particular banner dominated. Akin Fakorede is now a political brand for the APC as their chief collector of election result sheets.
The Rivers State Police Commissioner, Zaki Ahmed was directed by the Inspector General of Police to address the APC protesters. In less than one hour, in the spirit of “how many dem de”, thousands of Grassroots Development Initiative supporters took to the street to demand the sack and prosecution of Rivers SARs Commander. Though the protesters marched to the State Police Headquarters, the Commissioner of Police hid himself. He did not even send a representative.
From Abuja to Rivers State , IGP Idris and his APC associates funded kangaroo walks to defend the indefensible. They made a mockery of those whose lives were cut short by the brutality of SARs.
If the IGP could be this desperate to team up with failed APC chieftains like Amaechi to rent protesters then worse ratings are in the offing for Nigeria.
IGP Idris cannot reform SARS, because the IGP lacks the capacity for lawful conduct. If this IGP is reasonable, the very first action would have been to sanction Akin Fakorede caught on camera robbing election result sheets at the Rivers East Senatorial District Collation Centre. Instead, he sacked the six policemen who accompanied the Rivers State Governor to protect the integrity of the ballot.
If this IGP believes in the rule of law, the second step would have been to arraign the APC chieftains caught printing fake ballot papers.
To think that this IGP can reform SARS is akin to believing that Osama bin Laden can be an international negotiator for the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Like Governor Wike noted, IGP Idris is only buying time to strengthen SARS to help his political party, the APC rig the 2019 General Elections. For Rivers APC, their hope is built on nothing else, but the criminality and terror of SARs. With Akin Fakorede, their partner in crime, they are sure to steal a few votes.
The Nigeria Police belongs to all Nigerians. This agency is too critical to be left under the control of misfits like IGP Idris and Akin Fakorede, who believe that they can only survive by subverting the law to please a non-performing political party.
The pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari should be intense and consistent. The President must do the needful inspite of the political advantage he enjoys keeping IGP Idris and Akin Fakorede. The National Assembly should wake up and assist the President make up his mind, the way they did in the case of the criminal withdrawal of the Security details of the Anambra State Governor by the IGP. This SARs criminality must not be allowed to degenerate to the extent that Nigerians will resort to self help.
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