By Lekan Otufodunrin
Since the stoppage of the looting and destruction that followed the #ENDSARS protests, many policemen and women seem to have stayed away from their duty posts. Despite appeals by the Police authorities and reassurances by the state governors, the presence of officers and men in public on duty have not been as it used to be.
There have been concerns that many major traffic points across the country have been abandoned by policemen who normally ensure order, resulting in gridlock that keeps motorists on the road for hours. Some roads and crime spots usually patrolled by policemen to check criminal elements have also not been getting the necessary attention of the security agents.
Undoubtedly, the attack the Police suffered when hoodlums hijacked the peaceful protest that led to the killing of some men and destruction of stations must have left many officers and men traumatized and afraid of exposing themselves to any further possible danger.
The “we don’t need Police” attitude of some members of the public has also been somehow intimidating for policemen, leaving them confused as to how to go about their jobs.
While the demand for #ENDSARS and reformation of the police is understandable against the background of the lawlessness of some policemen, its unfortunate that some criminal elements took advantage of the situation.
What was demanded was the scrapping of the notorious SARS unit which the government agreed to and reformation of police operations already being worked on, not the unwarranted attacks on policemen and women.
No matter how bad the police has been, we cannot do without them if we are to ensure safety of lives and property. Like a Yoruba saying, even the bad guy has his day.
As the Police authorities commence taking steps to reform , there is urgent need to have the officers and men back at their duty posts. Grievances against the police has been expressed in civil and violent ways and its time they are given a chance to perform their very life-saving duties without any form of intimidation or threat.
The beneficiaries of the police being off their duty posts are criminals who are are having a field day at the expanse of the citizens.
On the government side, its in bad faith that there has been a clampdown on some of the activists who coordinated the protests. Some have been held for weeks despite the agreement to release them. The bank accounts of some persons have been reported frozen and the International Passport of one leader seized.
It has taken an outcry for some detained leaders to be released, while the sitting of the Lagos Judicial Panel on the protest had to be suspended due to the freezing of the accounts of representatives of the protesters. What is required now if the government is truly hearing the complaints of the youths “loud and clear” as President Muhammadu Buhari stated in his broadcast is for necessary measures to be taken to prevent similar protests, which may have more devastating consequences in future.
We didn’t have to get to the situation where youths have to take to the streets to protest police brutality if the government has been responsive to previous public outcry.
If only the response of the government to the #ENDSARS had been prompt enough, it would not have lasted long for hoodlums to hijack it.
However, having found ourselves at this present crossroads, our collective desires should be to put the issue behind us and ensure good governance at all levels and mutual trust.