{"id":22284,"date":"2014-02-03T14:29:44","date_gmt":"2014-02-03T13:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=22284"},"modified":"2014-02-03T14:29:44","modified_gmt":"2014-02-03T13:29:44","slug":"in-the-hands-of-the-nigeria-police","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/articles-opinions\/in-the-hands-of-the-nigeria-police\/","title":{"rendered":"In the hands of the Nigeria police"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Fredrick Nwabufo<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was sweepingly wet evening at Adebayo road in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.
\nThe rain had pulled dark clouds down in torrents of piercing water. It was
\ncustomary of the rain to be violent at this time of year. It was April 15,
\n2009.<\/p>\n

Kingsley having been indoors for very long, and starving, succumbed to the
\ndictates of his belly, and took a walk down the road to the obtrusive
\ncorner where Mama Bimbo sold \u201cEfo and Iyan\u201d.
\nHowever, he did not get to appease his protesting stomach. On his way, he
\nwas pounced on, and merrily abused by men of the Special Anti-Robbery
\nSquad, Ado Ekiti.<\/p>\n

Kingsley\u2019s offence was the rhythm of his gait. He walked too confident to
\nbe a law-abiding citizen. His strides sound the cymbals of a criminal.<\/p>\n

At the police station where he had been treated to a smorgasbord of lowly
\ntorture, it got to his ears that there had been an assassination attempt
\non a prominent chief a day before, on the road he trudged on. It now made
\nperfect sense to him. The police would look for any lamb to feed their
\nwolf of irresponsibility and impotence. It is all a perfect cover for
\ntheir gross inefficiency.<\/p>\n

Under interrogation, Kingsley revealed in nervous gasps for breath that he
\nwas a corps member, and the head of the Legal Aid Community Development
\nService Group, (NYSC). He had to flash an identity card to prove that, and
\nthank goodness, he had it on him. Afterwards, he was released without an
\napology.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou dey lucky, we for don kill you sef, and even pour acid for your
\nbody\u201d, an unrepentant policeman who gave him the most uncharitable blow
\nsaid.<\/p>\n

Kingsley being a lawyer left the police hovel with a firm determination to
\nsue, and to write about his ordeal so as to get the authorities to
\nstructurally slither into garrotting police irresponsibility and abuse of
\npower, but he did not, he was convinced by a family of traducers that it
\nwas bountiful waste of time. Again, time put soluble wool on the wound. It
\nwas in the past, he left it right there.<\/p>\n

On the night of 29 January, 2014 at Awka where Kingsley now lived and
\nworked, he was returning home crestfallen because of the defeat of Nigeria
\nby Ghana in the African Nations Championship semi-final match. The entire
\nambience seemed complicit in grief; giving off sombre vibes and wailings.<\/p>\n

Kingsley espied a tear-draining scene. A young man had been beaten to
\nunconsciousness. His own blood watered him. It was a cold scene of lavish
\nviolence. Also, on the dreadful scene were fourteen young men in handcuffs
\nbemoaning their unkind fate.<\/p>\n

Kingsley in a surge of empathy stepped out of his car to the scene forged
\nby violence. He went about like a good man asking questions. His
\n\u201cquerulous\u201d querying brought him an effusive outpouring of bone breaking
\nbeatings from men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Awka, the thespians of
\nthe show of violence.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, he was taken to a cold, rotten cell along with the fourteen
\nyoung men. The other young man who was beaten to unconsciousness died.
\nThey were all christened \u201carmed robbers\u201d. Kingsley\u2019s money and phone were
\n\u201cpolicepriated\u201d.<\/p>\n

By a flip of sacred coin, he was released after spending one hell-day in
\ndetention. The police got to know he was a lawyer, and that he had some
\nweight at Awka.<\/p>\n

The fate of the other boys dangled in a tenuous balance. They were
\nnameless, and as such they could be \u201cSARSRIZED\u201d; that is, they could be
\nneutralised without a wince of conscience.
\nKingsley would still not press charges. It is a bountiful waste of time.<\/p>\n

Kingsley\u2019s story is a splinter experience of many Nigerians in the hands
\nof the Nigeria police. And in most cases, hapless Nigerians do nothing,
\nnot because they are emasculated of evidence, but because their feeble
\nvoices are too puny to be heard in the midst of thundering roars of
\noppression and corruption. The Nigerian system gives the pleasure of
\noppression to the strong, but visits the iniquity of decimation on the
\nweak.<\/p>\n

At least, what we can do is to raise our voices to a crescendo of
\nresistance; speaking out against every form of police irresponsibility,
\nabuse of power and brutality. We cannot subsist on a repast of police
\nviolence every day. We must strive to bring humanity and sanity into the
\nsystem. Inasmuch as we seem impotent, we can use the potency of our
\nvoices; God will hear us, and then salvation will come to Israel.<\/p>\n

Have you been in the hands of the Nigeria police? If you have been, then
\nyou know they are not your friend.
\nCry out!<\/p>\n

Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and poet. Email:fredricknwabufo@yahoo.com
\n08167992075<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Fredrick Nwabufo   It was sweepingly wet evening at Adebayo road in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. The rain had pulled dark clouds down in torrents of piercing water. 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