In Nigeria, the ordinary folk on the street does not like the police, no thanks to deliberate violations of human rights, extra-judicial killings, and unrestrained extortion by some bad officers.
In fact, the Nigerian police have an image that is far less than sterling. That unflattering image has been accentuated by the misadventures of the officers of the force in the last 12 months.
Last Saturday, in Lagos, a 20-year-old lady, Ada Ifeanyi, was fatally shot on her way back from a nightclub. Her 32-year-old partner, Emmanuel Akomafuwa, was injured.
Thirteen days before this, also in Lagos, 36-year-old Kolade Johnson was killed by the police.
On March 28, a commercial motorcyclist, Ademola Moshood, was shot dead by a policeman near his Surulere residence when he allegedly refused to part with ₦200.
Ten days earlier, 18-year-old girl Hadiyat Sikiru was killed by a stray bullet fired by a policeman in Adamo community of Ikorodu, also in Lagos.
In January, policemen killed two drivers at the Ibro motor park, in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Last October, 31-year-old Anita Akapson, who had just returned to the country after bagging a degree overseas, was killed by the police in cold blood.
The list goes on and on.
Please click the link in our bio for our special report on the abuse of power by some bad eggs in the Nigerian Police.
Photo credit: @ladiluci