It is no doubt that the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) over time has destroyed more lives and properties than they were suppose to protect. the recent ordeals of a banker and Mobi Okparaku, a Nigerian ex-international, who was a member of the dream team that won gold in football at Atlanta '96, in the hands of the NPF shows how inefficient, crude, uncivil and unprofessional these men are.

Mr Tayo Akanmu is a banker; when he finished at work on Friday, 15 February, 2013, he had one thing in mind—to get to his home safely. He had even bought a chicken for his children, unknown to him that the innocent kids would not enjoy the chicken as he would not even see them that night. Not only did Mr Akanmu fail to get his deserved hugs and ‘thank you daddy’ from his children that night for the chicken, he lost N250 million to other competitors and, worst, his freedom to move or drive wherever he liked for more than 13 days now. The story of Mr Akanmu is the story of the Nigerian people, a story of violence against civilians. Mr Akanmu could have been a victim of police brutality.

While speaking to crime&security on his hospital bed, where he had been since 15 February, he said he drove through Mokola-UCH road that night, heading for Gate Area of Ibadan around 10:30 pm, when he saw three policemen in front of Orita Mefa Baptist Church. “They were trying to stop me and I was already too close to where they stood, close to a bump. So as to avoid hitting a car that was parked, I had to swerve off before being able to park a little distance beyond where they stood. As I was parking, one of them came to the clearing side, asking for my particulars. As I was attending to him, still at the wheel, another policeman had come towards the driver’s side, asking me to reverse and park behind the vehicle I avoided hitting.

But the third one cocked his gun, shouting at me to reverse and park behind the vehicle. I told him to be patient as I was already giving my particulars to his colleague. That was it. He hit me on the mouth; seeing blood come out of my mouth, I wanted to step out to ask why he hit me and then a punch landed on my chest,” Mr Akanmu narrated his ordeal.

“At that point, I held his shirt, asking for his superior and why he should brutalise me for no cause. Before I knew it, the three of them pounced on me and then, they began to hit my right knee with the butts of their guns. I fell down weeping, with the lady who was with me crying and begging them to leave me while another man was cautioning them that civilians should not be brutalised. I was beaten to a point that I passed out,” he continued.

When asked what step he had taken after regaining consciousness, he noted that he could no longer drive and he did not know how he and his car, a Honda CRV 2001 model, were taken to the Yemetu Police Station which was close by. “I saw their DPO and talked to him about the callous acts of his boys, but they had lied against me that I slapped them. The DPO asked for my company ID and my driving licence and I tendered them and he asked them to release me so I could go to a hospital or my house, but I could not drive. I asked the DPO to take me to the University College Hospital. I was brought here on the night of Friday, 15 February and my leg was operated upon. As I speak, I have spent nearly N400, 000.”

Written on Mr Akanmu’s face was agony, the agony of a father who has been separated from his children, the agony of a husband separated from his wife and the agony of a banker who was close to winning a N250 million account from one of the state governments in the South-West. “It is unfair for innocent citizens to go through this kind of humiliating and callous treatment in the hands of people expected to protect them. I told the DPO how much I spent on policemen and how much I respected them. This brutalisation has cost me greatly. I was supposed to get N250m for my company the Monday after that incident, but here am I struggling to get my leg back to normal. They have made lose a lot of money. As a banker and a marketer, imagine how much I would have made for my bank in the past 11 days. This is really unfair,” he lamented.

http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/6660-this-is-unfair-police-brutality-has-cost-me-millions-banker-it-s-a-lie-police

MOBI OKPARAKU

The 1996 Olympic Football Gold Medalist, Mr. Mobi Oparaku, was Thursday afternoon brutalized by about seven armed policemen for yet to be disclosed reasons.

The ugly incident played out at about 1.35pm, near 5 Rotibi Street, Owerri, which houses media organizations in the municipality.
At the end of the ordeal,Mr. Oparaku had a bleeding mouth, a torn T-shirt and myriad of pains emanating from the serious beating he received from the rampaging policemen led by one Inspector of Police, Mr. Ochiang.

When Vanguard immediately sought an explanation on why his men brutalized Oparaku, the police inspector declined comment and ordered his men to enter the vehicle and left the bleeding footballer to his fate.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/police-brutalize-96-olympic-champion-mobi-oparaku/

Until we start shooting or pouring them acid or bombing them.sad but true.they are so ignorant that they only understand violence.might is right in nigeria today.

Sorry Bro, just thank God those BA5TARDS didn't kill you.

The lesson you should learn is‎​ that: The Police is‎​ NOT your friend, they've never been and will never be!!

this is outrageous.how can a citizen be treated as if he was an animal.the truth is that this thing could have happened to anybody.

The Issue of Nigerian Police is multi faceted... It even requires fasting and prayer at some point cos it has gone so bad, that we even see it as the norm...can u imagine that? God forbid!!!

GARRI (x7):
Sorry Bro, just thank God those BA5TARDS didn't kill you.

The lesson you should learn is‎​ that: The Police is‎​ NOT your friend, they've never been and will never be!!

Na TRUE yarn be dat oooooo, but however it is a very dangerous development, that citizens can no longer entrust the force saddled with the responsibility for the security and safety of live and property

We fit suffer till we find people that are ready to serve our fatherland in the helms of affairs and not to serve their pocketland

Where else do we turn to?The police as an institution has woefully failed,from brutalizing innocent people,to corruption and framing people like the Oyerinde's case its just heart breaking...

NPF has always presented itself as agent of brutality/torture n corruption so doing wat they knw how 2 do best isn't a news any more 4 me cuz an organisation were corruption n bribery is part n parcel of their daily activities wat else do u expect from them? May be they thot the innocent Man has money on him 4 them 2 steal in d process of rough handly d poor Man#I pity this our beloved country n we#

WHEN THE DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT POLICING IS ALL ABOUT...WHEN THE TOP LACKS CORDINATION, WOT HAPPENS TO THE SURBORDINATES...NA GOD HAND WE DEY O

Itohen:

Na TRUE yarn be dat oooooo, but however it is a very dangerous development, that citizens can no longer entrust the force saddled with the responsibility for the security and safety of live and property

... Is‎​ it any wonder why many STRONGLY believe that Nigerian is‎​ moving very fast towards attaining the status of a failed State??

@garri, in as much as we need God's intervention to be saved from the NPF, other security agencies like the military and the sss still gives us hope.

GARRI (x7):


... Is‎​ it any wonder why many STRONGLY believe that Nigerian is‎​ moving very fast towards attaining the status of a failed State??

Boazizzy08: @garri, in as much as we need God's intervention to be saved from the NPF, other security agencies like the military and the sss still gives us hope.

The Military are worse that the Police. Very crude, Barbaric and inhuman in their ways!!!

The SSS aren't meant to Protect you, the are only involved in High-Profile cases...

Sad.....right??

Boazizzy08: @garri, in as much as we need God's intervention to be saved from the NPF, other security agencies like the [b]military and the sss still gives us hope[/b].

Which military?? devil go punish Nigerian army! make them kill all of them for mali! useless cowards wey na only for students and civilians them dey get power! see how they killed 4 innocent protesting students of Nasarawa state university over water! go to all the check points they mount on our roads and see how they are disgracing women and drivers!

BESIDES WHY ARE THE MILITARY STILL ON OUR ROADS AND TERRORIZING EVERYBODY?? I TOT WE ARE IN A DEMOCRACY!!

make Devil finish Nigerian army! all of them go die! useless mofos!

U think say if na soldiers this guy for still dey alife now? his story for don finish since!

THE NIGERIAN GOVT SHOULD ALLOW EVERY NIGERIA TO BEAR ARMS! WE SHOULD BE EMPOWERED TO PROTECT OURSELVES BY OURSELVES!

they will never be in the media for a good reason. just imagine the case of this youth corp member.

Anthony Onuagbara is a typical Nigerian youth who had high hopes after graduation. However, for the indigent 26-year-old graduate of Marketing from Anambra State University, hope is fast giving way to despair. Why? He is fast losing his sight in one eye as a result of the beating and torture he allegedly received from men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Ado-Ekiti on August 12, 2012 for a crime he did not commit.

Onuagbara was happy when he received his call-up letter for the mandatory one-year national service. His posting to Ekiti State was an answer to his prayer that he should not be posted to any of the states currently under the siege of the violent Boko Haram sect. Though the first graduate in his family, the joy Onuagbara had during the orientation programme has since evaporated and he now wears a gloomy face while he watches his future slip away.

Narrating how he became blind in his right eye, he said the incident happened when some policemen attached to the SARS stormed his residence at Adebayo area of Ado-Ekiti and arrested him and three others.

He said a corps member, who he identified as Michael, had brought a prostitute to the house around 6pm. However, a quarrel arose between the duo over how much the lady should be paid. Onuagbara said Michael, who was one of the tenants in the house which had about 20 rooms, claimed that he told the lady that he would pay N2,000 for her services, but the lady insisted on collecting N3,000. This disagreement caused a quarrel and the lady went away.

He explained that he was in his room, relaxing, when some fierce-looking armed policemen from SARS invaded the house around 11pm and broke the door to his room and hit him on the face several times with rifle butts.

He said, “At around 11pm on August 12, I was in my room and I heard a bang on the door. Before I knew what was happening, some policemen from SARS broke the door into my room and started beating me.

“They hit me with the butts of their rifles and I sustained injury to my right eye. I started bleeding profusely, but despite my condition, I was locked up in the cell for four days.

“One Mr. Okeya, a lawyer, came to the police station and secured my bail four days later. During my detention, I was not allowed medical treatment and my eye swelled up.”

http://www.punchng.com/feature/police-brutality-blind-in-the-service-of-fatherland/

For NPF,i always use voom ka nma karia statement . . .to run or settle is always better than statement/long grammar.
Internet Nigerians can sit comfortably in UK/US preach otherwise,I don't care.I live here and knows how it goes.

Terrible!