By Muiz Banire
By the law setting up the Nigeria Police Force, the officers and men are meant to primarily maintain law and order in the country. Specifically, they are to provide security and protection for the civilian population. At a point in history, they discharged this responsibility so well that the country was substantially safe for all and Nigerians were proud of their police force. In fact, on the international plain, they earned accolades and laurels from time to time in peacekeeping operations and other assignments.
However, with the incursion of the military into the country’s
governance, the Nigeria Police Force gradually started losing its potency and
relevance. Part of the reasons accountable for the ugly trend was the
deliberate act of the military rulers to amputate the police in order to
forestall any threat to its rulership.
