I do not believe there is any mature Nigerian that has not had an unpleasant encounter with the Nigerian police, "our friends in uniform". I remember when a friend of mine was jumped by some dudes in Lekki and after he was able to escape, decided to report the case to the police station at Maroko. According to his narrative, when he arrived at the counter he went on to state his case to the lady officer and after a while he noticed that all through the time that he was narrating his story, the police woman was concentrating on a tv show. "Madam, I am talking to you now. Didn't you hear what I just said?" to which she replied, "how much you get sef?". Na so my guy hand fall

Or is the story my wife told me of how the police pulled over a car with her and her cousins and after discovering that all their particulars were complete went further to ask for the receipt of their driver's licence. I could go on and on with various tales of how the police have disappointed and even surprised Nigerians in one way or the other. You can check the thread that is now on fp for more gists @ https://www.nairaland.com/2915957/nigeria-police-money-share-experience.

This thread is not to elaborate on the inefficiencies of the police but rather to take a deeper look at WHY they seem to be having issues discharging their duties as expected of them. I met my wife's cousin who happens to be a policeman some weeks back and after going back and forth on different issues we settled on the his broken arm, now healed, and also about the police force and why he is considering quitting soon. I will try to highlight some points that really touched me:

Nigerian police buy their own uniform and shoes: As Nigerians this might sound normal but the truth is that it is very disheartening to imagine that the average Nigerian police officer purchases his own kits. According to my cousin, he arrested some guys and one of them happened to be a Ghanain. After they got to gisting, the guy asked him, "why do you all have on different shoes?". To which my cousin replied, "we all buy the shoes ourselves". The Ghanain told him that in Ghana the government supplies the police force with kits and you can never find them wearing different shoes.

Like I said, this might sound normal but it is absolutely shameful that the FG of the giant of Africa cannot afford to supply their staff with adequate kits due to the fact that some "ogas at the top" will rather use such funds to invest their pot bellies and bank accounts. Also, the fact that an average Joe/Segun/Nnamdi/Abu can just waltz into the market buy black material and have a tailor sew a "uniform" as well as get a pair of black shoes and "become" a police officer says a lot about the apparent lack of security in the country.

Nigerian police patrol teams maintain their "pick ups": By maintain, I mean they buy the fuel used running the vehicle and are also responsible whenever there's a repair to be made such as a flat tire, broken side mirror from a car chase, engine trouble etc. Do you mean to tell me that there is not enough money to maintain such minute things which should ordinarily be the responsibility of the government? It was then I understood why Nigerian police officers will request for "fuel money" before they respond to a robbery or distress call. It is NOT provided for and even if it is, "some "ogas at the top" will rather use such funds to invest their pot bellies and bank accounts".

Nigerian police officers are not taken care of: He told me a story of how a colleague of his was shot and killed while responding to an armed robbery attack. The members of the patrol team had to contribute funds to deposit him in a mortuary and after the family had concluded plans to bury him, there was an outstanding balance of N65,000, they went to meet the DPO of the police station where he was assigned to only for the DPO to say, "it is none of my business, make una carry una dead body go". The said police officer had three surviving kids and a wife and the FG did nothing to compensate them for the loss of their father who died during active duty serving his country. My cousin had an accident on his was back from work and his arm was broken. The FG did nothing to help him out with the bills either. Little wonder the average police officer would rather look the other way or hide in a bush when they hear that armed robbers are close.

Nigerian police officers have monthly "targets" to reach: By monthly targets, I mean they have a specific amount of money they must remit to the DPO or risk being posted to Sambisa police post for their incompetence. So, my cousin was at a "checking" point, funny how that reminds me of a bank, when a colleague of his got a call from the DPO to send him recharge card of N1,000. Unfortunately they had not made any "sales", don't ask me what they sell because me sef dey wonder, so he asked my cousin if he had any money to which my cousin replied in the negative. So he called the DPO and told him he didn't have any money on him. The DPO hung up and called the officer in charge of the patrol team to send that officer back to the station and install someone else in his place.

The level of corruption in the police force beats the imagination: He also went on to tell me an incident of how high ranking police officers will take off their ranks and "demote" themselves in order to attend seminars abroad that are meant for junior staff. The truth is that most of the police officers who we are chanced to meet at bank check points are those at the lower ranks with no access to funding and who are more concerned about meeting their monthly targets, bank marketers can relate, or are busy trying to get by in an occupation that offers little or no reward for their efforts.

So next time you are asked to "settle" for simply being a Nigerian using Nigerian roads, remember that one "oga at the top" is grateful for your deposits

Source: Na me write am

Summary: The Nigerian police force are underpaid, underfunded, not compensated and overworked. As the saying goes, "he who gets paid well works well."

For the lazy readers in the house

I pray we get there some day.

I pray we get there some day

surestakes:
Summary: The Nigerian police force are underpaid, underfunded, not compensated and overworked. As the saying goes, "he who gets paid well works well."

For the lazy readers in the house

thanks for the summary,

State police is the solution. let their be competitiveness which will make for innovation.
you can't compare civil servants in osun with their mates in Anambra.

This is really touching. Honestly, i do pity policemen, they are not well taken care of and i heard naija policemen are d best in africa. the greenish uniform goes for 15000, i think d blue one is 5000 or thereabout. Most times, i willingly give them money and sometimes food stuffs. Lalasticlala,d only mod with a good reputation, abeg come and help me push dis to front page.

MisterRight:
thanks for the summary,

You're welcome

Seun and lalasticlala, this kind thread no better pass Buhari breaking his fats or that oyibo wey dey pound yam for there abi?

There is still no justification for their animalistic behavior.....

1)A Policeman once killed a pregnant woman at Ibadan and he claimed the pregnant woman was one of the robbers even after the hubby said she came to buy something in the market
2)A policeman once arrested a friend of mine coz they found "yahoo mail" on his system.... They claimed he is a yahoo boy....he slept there for two days or so
3)A policeman injured an okada rider right in front of me coz of 50 naira

That doesn't make us respect and pity the police.


Nigerian police can be callous, wicked and heartless.

Corruption and bribery is already in their DNA.

Even if you correct all that the OP has listed here, then you go ahead to upgrade their salaries to N200,000 per month, they will still be corrupt.

Forget the police.

They don spoil finish remainder to throwaway

Nigerian police will arrest you for living or working around a crime scene. You are just a suspect but you will end up being treated like a criminal. Then you will bail your self with a your hard earned money. Remember you are simply just a suspect.

Mejority of nowadays police all the are after is money

Police too dey suffer na mk them no dey get joy

Police is so ineffective cos most people join the NPF for survival not for for the passion or to curb crimes

send police officers back to their regions or state.l

A poiliceman go dey 4 insyd sun from mornin till night,how u want make dah kind person get joy..d tin make dey vex dem pass na wen dem ask u 2 buy dea market u come dey speak bib big English..u go sleep 4 cell

You can never give your best to anything in this case Nigeria knowing fully well that the country would not even take care of you or more importantly your family when you are gone even during service. imagine seeing your friends family thrown out of the Barack after his death without no compensation would make you realise that being patriotic to Nigeria is the worst thing you can do. I grew seeing how this country treat officer, my first girlfriend and her family suffered a lot after they lost their dad on active duty. they where practically thrown out.

Some of your points are not valid.
Nigerian police officers have monthly "targets" to reach. you don't just conclude like this a normal habit by every DPO. Your friend and his DPO keep doing illegal shiit who cares if they have made any amount ? There is monitoring department to handle such matters.

Nigerian police patrol teams maintain their "pick ups" Every station have a particular amount being kept aside for maintenance . The issue is individual officers turning patrol cars into personal use.

Nigerian police buy their own uniform and shoes: The Nigerian police has a department that issue uniforms but you have to pay. Blame the officers that go out to buy their own kits and moreover i have seen posts on Quora on how US police buy their kits and even some additional equipment.

Your points are only valid only because the Nigerian Police cannot enforce strict laws on her personnel thoroughly.


These are the real officers. I consider those ones as touts in uniform.

I know all these things..


I remember a Police officer stopping me and after hussling to obtain me to no joy, the Patrol commander asked me to please contribute to the purse because they need new tyres for the patrol vehicle.


I was at the Police Station yesterday to get a Police Extract.. It cost me 3000 Naira.



That said, the Nigerian Police has al the mechanisms within itself as a Department to raise funds without resorting to criminal extortion and collection of bribes and gifts from the people which clearly violates the Nigerian Police code of conduct and laws and is grounds for dismissal from the Police and imprisonment.

If the Nigerian Police genuinely enforced the law and issued valid tickets and fines for minor offences, they would be one of the most economically viable arms of Government. But the issue is that all the monies to the Police makes comes in the form of bribes so it ends up in the pocket of the Police Hirachy and not in the coffers of the Nigerian police Service. From the Station Commanders who sell Police officers to Banks for escorting money, Companies for excorting Expatriates, Rich Private individuals for Body Guards, etc to the Police officers at major Bustops collecting monies daily from commercial vehicles and thus turning a blind eye to all the criminal violations they commit at those bustops to the Illegal checkpoints/tollgates, e.t.c..



The Nigerian Police needs to be re-structured. Most of those at the helm of the Poilce are clueless as to how to fix the rot within the Police service.

So, who are we to blame? The underpaid police? Or the innocent victim being molested by the underpaid police?
The police should also remember that those they exploit are even in more danger of survival than they are.
Nigeria and people they call leaders...

Montaque:
State police is the solution. let their be competitiveness which will make for innovation.
you can't compare civil servants in osun with their mates in Anambra.

state police might be a solution to consider... But hv u considered Dat Dere r states Dat are owing dere worker 6 month salary

NPF is from bad society we have, they will also bad...... simple

Its not the fault of the officers, its the fault of the system. Yes, they are underpaid and not cared for, hence the need for them to help themselves by creating money generating avenues for themselves. That's the psych that most officers have once they are recruited into the force; get money or live dirty

h

surestakes:
I do not believe there is any mature Nigerian that has not had an unpleasant encounter with the Nigerian police, "our friends in uniform". I remember when a friend of mine was jumped by some dudes in Lekki and after he was able to escape, decided to report the case to the police station at Maroko. According to his narrative, when he arrived at the counter he went on to state his case to the lady officer and after a while he noticed that all through the time that he was narrating his story, the police woman was concentrating on a tv show. "Madam, I am talking to you now. Didn't you hear what I just said?" to which she replied, "how much you get sef?". Na so my guy hand fall

Or is the story my wife told me of how the police pulled over a car with her and her cousins and after discovering that all their particulars were complete went further to ask for the receipt of their driver's licence. I could go on and on with various tales of how the police have disappointed and even surprised Nigerians in one way or the other. You can check the thread that is now on fp for more gists @ https://www.nairaland.com/2915957/nigeria-police-money-share-experience.
Nigerian police buy their own uniform and shoes: As Nigerians this might sound normal but the truth is that it is very disheartening to imagine that the average Nigerian police officer purchases his own kits. According to my cousin, he arrested some guys and one of them happened to be a Ghanain. After they got to gisting, the guy asked him, "why do you all have on different shoes?". To which my cousin replied, "we all buy the shoes ourselves". The Ghanain told him that in Ghana the government supplies the police force with kits and you can never find them wearing different shoes.

Like I said, this might sound normal but it is absolutely shameful that the FG of the giant of Africa cannot afford to supply their staff with adequate kits due to the fact that some "ogas at the top" will rather use such funds to invest their pot bellies and bank accounts. Also, the fact that an average Joe/Segun/Nnamdi/Abu can just waltz into the market buy black material and have a tailor sew a "uniform" as well as get a pair of black shoes and "become" a police officer says a lot about the apparent lack of security in the country.

Nigerian police patrol teams maintain their "pick ups": By maintain, I mean they buy the fuel used running the vehicle

Nigerian police officers are not taken care of: He told me a story of how a colleague of his was shot and killed while responding to an armed robbery attack.

Nigerian police officers have monthly "targets" to reach:

The level of corruption in the police force beats the imagination: He also went on to tell me an incident of how high ranking police officers will take off...

So next time you are asked to "settle" for simply being a Nigerian using Nigerian roads, remember that one "oga at the top" is grateful for your deposits

Source: Na me write am

All true no lies. Even a day old knows that there is a problem not just in Nigerian Police Force but virtually all establishment owned by the Government.
The fault should not go to the FG alone but their HEADS.
They have ridiculed the force.
Their OGAs are so unprofessional, so uncultured. I mean how can you turn a police officer to a beggar, thieves because that is what they
They ask for money when you don't give them they forcefully collect it by creating one problem or the other for you
This is to be expected when you allow people who knows nothing about the force to be leaders base on sentiment
@bolded should not be encouraged because if people are giving them this money willingly it becomes a habit. Why? It is not as if they don't pay them.
Shame on their leaders they are not representing them well. Majority are after their own.

I cry for Nigeria

surestakes:
Summary: The Nigerian police force are underpaid, underfunded, not compensated and overworked. As the saying goes, "he who gets paid well works well."

For the lazy readers in the house

That is not the problem. The Nigerian police is the way it is because it is manned and headed by Nigerians.

This is trash men! The police are ineffective becos they are corrupt and professionally incompetent.

Imagine a policeman asking a driver for the original receipt of his car, may be he intends to steal the car.