Every job or service has its own hazard or hazards, depending on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools, and the environment of assignment. In Nigeria, the duties of the police are as follows: The prevention and detection of crime, The apprehension of offenders, The preservation of law and order, Most importantly, the protection of life and property.
By Bala Ibrahim
However, for some bizarre reasons, while the police are assigned the duty of protecting the life and property of the citizenry, their own lives are left constantly exposed to harm. Police ethics enjoin officers to always move around with the following quote in mind:
“I will maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint, and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed, both in my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the law and the regulations of my department and country.”
Last night, some Nigerians, particularly the people of Kano State, slept in agony due to the sad story of a ghastly road accident, wherein at least five police officers attached to the Kano State Police Command were confirmed dead. According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna, the accident occurred along the Kano-Zaria highway in the early hours of Tuesday. Eleven others were left with varying degrees of injuries. SP Abdullahi said the accident happened around Karfi Village, Kura Local Government Area, while the officers were on their way back to Kano from an official assignment. A trailer attempting to reverse on the main road rammed into the oncoming police vehicle. This is deeply saddening.
All scriptures tell us—and we believe—that death is inevitable. Yes, every mortal shall die, but how one will die is unknown. Some die peacefully in their sleep, some in the hospital, some due to over air-conditioning, and some from overfeeding. Others die due to anxiety caused by the excessive accumulation of ill-gotten wealth. While all these are classified as deaths, some are more tragic or catastrophic due to the manner in which they occur. For some inexplicable reasons, some members of the Nigeria Police Service seem destined for catastrophic deaths, either by design or deliberate neglect. Why?
Indeed, police officers know that every time they put on their uniform, they take risks to protect others. The system that assigns them these duties must recognize that they are putting their lives on the line for the protection of others. Sometimes, in the course of duty, police officers insist on checking the roadworthiness of vehicles to ensure they are safe for driving and the transportation of people or goods. The goal of the police is to promote safety on public roads and reduce the risk to passengers and other road users. Yet, in most cases, their own operational vehicles are not roadworthy.
Apart from being overworked—largely due to inadequate staffing—police officers in Nigeria lack sufficient rest, let alone the time to adequately prepare for the next challenge. Nigeria currently has just over 370,000 police officers, translating to a police-citizen ratio of approximately 1:600. This places the officers under constant stress, taking advantage of their vulnerability.
If a thorough investigation were conducted on the Kano police accident, apart from questioning the mental state of the truck driver for reversing on the highway, the police vehicle may also fail a roadworthiness test. It could well have been a faulty vehicle. The officers, sent on a national assignment in a dilapidated vehicle, met their tragic end. Unfortunately, there isn’t a day that passes in Nigeria without hearing of police officers dying in some mishap. It’s always unlucky accidents, and the poor police officers are the victims. Why? Is the police service scheduled for supreme sacrifice?
Numerous studies have shown that Nigerian police officers face an elevated risk of death compared to the general population, and the reasons are specific—poor working conditions. The controversy over police life expectancy in Nigeria goes beyond poor remuneration; it also includes inadequate kitting. When someone is not provided with the appropriate equipment for an assignment, especially one associated with high risk, that person is essentially being assigned to death.
This article serves as a tribute, not just to the officers who died yesterday, but to all the police officers who have died on duty before them. There is an honorable memorial day quote that reads:
“We don’t know them all, but we owe them all. We come not to mourn our dead heroes but to praise them. We stand for the flag, we kneel for the fallen.”
May this accident prompt the Nigerian government to engage in deep soul-searching regarding the condition of the police force. And may the souls of the fallen rest in perfect peace, amen.
