OPINION: Of COVID-19 lockdowns and police extortion
Ademola Orunbon
There is a lot of blame to go round, but there will be adequate time to address the structural problems that keep Nigeria corrupt even in the middle of a pandemic. Our primary challenge now should be ensuring that the law enforcement officials who are an integral part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic begin to take their responsibilities seriously.
The Nigeria Police Force, established in 1930, has a long history of engaging in unprofessional, corrupt, and criminal conduct. Over the years, this unwieldy force —Africa’s largest— has proved difficult to effectively manage and control and has become largely unaccountable to the citizens it is meant to serve.
The police commonly round up random citizens in public places, including mass arrests at restaurants, markets, and bus stops. In some cases of blatant deception, plain-clothed police officers simply masquerade as commuter minibus drivers, pick up unsuspecting passengers at bus stops, and take them at gunpoint to nearby police stations where they demand money in return for their release.
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