POLICE CHECKPOINTS IN NIGERIA: Mitigating the excesses by the Men in Black

Thought provoking prompts:

At every single point in time, the sight of the Nigeria Police on the roads should at every point in time usher in a feel of relief, peacefulness and the assurance that one's life and properties are well protected.

But incidentally, the contrary is what obtains a number of times in Nigeria, with many ultimately calling for the absence of police checkpoints on the road.

The reason for this is due to the many abuse of such call on duty by the Men in Black (Not Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the movie) comprising the bribery and extortion of motorists, notably the public transport operators; the shooting of innocent people and the unprofessional approach to pulling over vehicles or causing traffic jams and at times, accidents in a bid to arrest erring motorists.

These cases too many, some of which would be highlighted in the course of this work is the basis for this article.

On this note, the police checkpoint, a tool long employed by the Nigeria Police Force to combat and control the flow of crime across the board is one widely considered to be inefficient, as it has been employed as a chameleon to them (the police) committing crime as mentioned earlier.

No wonder the cancellation of the checkpoints in March 2012 by the Inspector General (I.G) of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, then in acting capacity, was greeted with relief by many.  The then disclosure (in 2012) by the I.G. that the removal of the police checkpoints had saved Nigerians about 6.43tn comprising police extortion, losses and time management only brings to conclusion that the road blockage in itself was an inefficient tool to combating crime in the country. 

 <http://nigerianewsday.com/news-a-commentary/security-a-police-reform/660-road-block-removal-ends-police-corruption>

In his words, the I. G said “Even when the checkpoints were in place, how many kidnappers did they stop? How many vehicles or persons involved in smuggling of arms and ammunition or robbery on these roads did they stop? Rather, what they were doing was tarnishing the image of the police by involving themselves in embarrassing acts.”

Obviously, these image tarnishing acts entail bribery and extra judicial killings which I believe can be checked, after all one does not fight crime by running away from it but confronting it with rigid and ugly measures.

But interestingly, in a bid to avoid these image tarnishing vices via the cancellation of the checkpoints, what comes to mind are the more efficient substitute in place to combat the free flow of crime on the road.

Fine the I.G mentioned the employment of many patrol vehicles and a strengthened communication amongst the police personnel but what I opine must first come to mind before its cancellation are

·         every country has different approaches to committing crime, dependent on its crime history, size, capacity and nature of crime regularly committed;

·         the availability of social amenities like good road networks;

·         the availability of modern technology, notably the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), which is a nitty gritty and substitute to putting away the Men in Black from the roads, as it aid the tracking of human and vehicular movements within the coverage of its strategic placement; and

·         the regularity of patrol by the squad cars and vans, which in itself is very cost intensive in the long run.

The absence of one or all of these is a NO to stopping the checkpoints, as it would put crime on a rise.

From the aforesaid, it is not surprising that the cancellation of the checkpoints was a sojourn call, as the Men in Black are back on the streets. 

The image on the right makes one statement, the Return of the Men in Black to the checkpoints

Too many incidents with unanswered questions:

Notable examples which have long brought to mess the existence of police checkpoints include the killing of one Emmanuel Victor, a 20-year-old young adult at a checkpoint in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on October 16, 2011, for allegedly condemning the extortion and bribery at the checkpoint by three policemen on duty < http://www.punchng.com/news/bayelsa-checkpoint-killing-parents-sue-police-for-n200m/>

Other stories include the painful killing on June 13, 2013 of nine year old Timilehin Ebun by some policemen while trying to extort money from a commercial bus whom in a bid to evade giving the Men in Black money (a bribe), had them opening fire on him, which sadly was a stray shot that pierced through the Ebun family’s SUV, killing the young Timilehim, with other family members inside the vehicle. < http://www.punchng.com/news/police-stole-our-joy-father-of-slain-boy/>.

Not forgetting the 2009 killing of a three year old girl, Kasufara Muritala, also at a checkpoint by former police corporal, Ikechukwu Nwabueze < http://www.punchng.com/news/court-sentences-police-corporal-to-death-for-killing-three-year-old-girl/>; the fatal accident caused by some policemen while trying to arrest a commercial motorcyclists, aka Okada, for driving against traffic <http://www.punchng.com/news/container-truck-crushes-man-govt-meat-van/> and drawing the curtain to these painful losses and disregard for human life is the September 20, 2012 killing of Ugochukwu Ozuah, barely five days after his wedding. Ozuah was killed while dropping his friend whom paid him a courtesy visit off < http://www.punchng.com/news/police-accused-of-killing-man-five-days-after-wedding/>. Sadly in this case, like many others, in a bid to save face, the police denied responsibility of a handful of these killing, owing it to armed robbers. Sadly, the list is endless.

These stories cited are too many incidents with many unanswered questions, questions that are only answered by a better equipped, oriented and high frequency in there-facing of the Nigeria police



 

An image of a “raised eyebrow” police checkpoint in Nigeria which is unnecessarily crowded with cops. Having 6 cops on car indeed makes the checkpoints congested.

 

 

 

  A better organised checkpoint with a cop per car during routine check.

Checking trigger happiness and other excesses by the Nigeria Police:

In checking the trigger happiness by the cops, so much have to be done which should be well monitored by not just the cops but the public, as the public are in the best position to have a fair check, as against the police, whom are known to cover-up.

First of all, there is need for the police to regularly orientate and re-orientate its personnel on what to consider, with respect to positioning, and location before pulling vehicles over. This is pivotal preventing avoidable accidents or gridlocks.

Secondly, there is need for the police to call the attention of the public on its check points locations across the federation. This would be achieved through the social media and e-
platforms, especially twitter. This serves the advantage of putting the public better informed  on legal checkpoints, thus identifying the illegal ones which are most times planted by armed robbers.

Also, through regular adverts and campaign across the various media networks (print, electronic, social and e-media), as this would have the public better aware on the need to pull over or obey the police whenever such call arise because some motorists are fond of flouting in this respect, not parking when asked to by being motionless on the road.

Thirdly and very importantly, the police should keep the public informed on the the need to pull over on checkpoints as against fleeing such checks. On this note, huge sanctions should be metted to such individuals and the police should keep the public informed of such fines.

Regular communication with the public of checkpoints location and re-orientation of the police achieves:

·         A drop in fear that such checkpoint could be planted by armed robbers. This is due to the fact that many citizens have falling victim to feigned checkpoint planted by armed robbers,  whom while being a chameleon in checking cars, carry out their evil acts;

·         On the flip, the encouragement of the public to keep the police informed of illegal police checkpoints or any deemed strange to them which is not included in the lists provided by the police.    

·         Keeping the police more conscious to be professional and not aggressive in the discharge of their duties because they are known to be very rude and harsh which does not speak well for them. And it will have them closely monitored by the public.  

On  a fourth note, every police formation and area should be held accountable for checkpoints planted within its jurisdiction. The advantage this serves is that whenever cases of extra judicial killings arise, the area or formation where such killings arise would be held accountable, averting the frequency of denials exuded by the police, as everyone would know where to point a finger at.

More so, whenever there is a change in checkpoint location, the public should be informed. The employ of the social media would no doubt be a speedy approach to achieving this. 

Still on the social media, each police formation in every state should be mandated to independently have its social media page/platform, precisely twitter for the public to follow in order to be promptly and regularly informed of the activities by the police. No questioning one thing, this singular act would on a wide scale keep the public better abreast with the activities of the police, draw the police closer to the people with its efficiency ultimately achieved and the truly being the friend of the public. 

Most importantly is the encouragement to the police for giving their lives to fight crime. They are widely known to be poorly paid and the effectiveness of take home pay in relation to ones job is expedient to achieve the required drive of one to perform, especially when it is a job with one putting one’s life on the line. 

In achieving an efficient police checkpoint, it is imperative for the police to have an effective checkpoint to checkpoint communication to discourage vehicles from fleeing when asked to stop, as they would have it on the back of their minds that resisting a check is a waste of time, after all they would be caught by subsequent checkpoints. 

No doubt, the strategic placements of these checkpoints is very very imperative.

With the April 16, 2013 report by the Punch, Nigeria < http://www.punchng.com/news/reps-probe-police-extra-judicial-killings/> on the call by the Nigerian lower legislative chamber, House of Representative’ directive of an investigation into rising cases of extra-judicial killings by the police, the points noted in this article would greatly contribute in making the extra judicial killing a thing of the past, as anyone could be a victim, you just never can tell until it happens.