By Punch Editorial Board, Thursday January 23, 2025
THE Federal Capital Territory Police Command closed out 2024 with 1,077 arrests from 1,426 cases reported. It rescued kidnapped hostages, recovered weapons and over N409 million from bandits, kidnappers, and armed robbers.
But what was intended as a positive year’s scorecard for the police watching over Nigeria’s seat of power was overshadowed by the huge number of officers killed by criminals. The command said 140 of its officers were killed last year while performing their lawful duty. This is alarming. The Nigerian police are under serious threat. They need urgent help.
The deaths are worrisome because most of the slain officers were likely breadwinners for their families. It is equally troubling that the killings make the federal capital, the official home of the President, his cabinet, and the federal legislature, look unsafe.
This is not good for residents and those who do business in the city as well as for foreign direct investment.
Another chilling point is that the 140 officers were slain in just one territory (much like a State), not the entire federation.
Occupational hazards happen all over the world, but 140 officers killed in the FCT alone ring alarm bells. Contrastingly, 39 police officers were killed between 2023 and 2024 in South Africa, though with a population of 64 million and police staff strength of 179,502 compared to Nigeria’s population of 233 million and police staff of 371,800.
In China, with over one billion people and more than 1.6 million police officers, 208 officers were killed on duty in 2024. In the United States, with a population of 346 million and police of over one million, 47 operatives were killed on duty in 2024, up from 44 slain in 2023.
The decimation of Nigeria’s police force further worsens the country’s poor police per capita record. It is reckoned that there is one police officer to 820 Nigerians. This is below the UN benchmark of one officer to 400 citizens. More recruitment into the force is needed while officers guarding the wealthy, carrying their bags, and helping them to abuse the naira, should be recalled and deployed to regular duties.
The staggering FCT police casualty figure points to the gaps in Nigeria’s policing infrastructure. Those gaps should be filled. The police should be well-funded, trained, and equipped. They should not be outmanned or outgunned by the enemy.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, should spend good money on the FCT command. Officers should be well-kitted, trained, and well-equipped with technological devices.
It is a mystery that a huge number of arms and ammunition remain in the possession of private citizens and criminal groups. The security agents should track those weapons, recover them, and prosecute their owners.
Mopping up arms in unauthorised hands will significantly reduce the capacity of private individuals to foment trouble.
Nigeria’s notoriously porous borders should be tightened up to keep arms influx from the Sahel in check.
The war against insecurity must be scaled up. Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, Lakurawa should be sent packing from Nigeria. Bandits, kidnappers, and armed robbers from whom the FCT police wrested over N490 million should be put out of business.
Nigeria’s current insecurity challenges amplify the call for State police. Individuals born and raised in a locality should be properly trained, armed, and engaged to police their area. Nigeria is the only federal entity in the world without state police. The US, Australia, Canada, and Germany operate multi-layered policing systems. The United Kingdom, a unitary state, has 45 territorial police forces and three special forces.
Nigeria cannot run away from this and expect security for its citizens.
