Is The Nigerian Police Creating Room For Criminals?

What comes to your mind when you see a group of men on the highway, holding AK-47 and stopping vehicles? I can imagine what your answer might be.

I have another question. How are Nigerian Police men and officers expected to dress? I guess you will say in their approved uniform of black upon black or the new one of blue upon black.

Well, what I saw in Lagos and at Ile-Ife on my way back to Kaduna made me ask the questions above. I saw men in mufti holding AK-47 stopping vehicles. What came to my mind was are these boys at it again? I was afraid I no want see bad thing o. It was when I got closer that I realised that they were policemen.

I don't know the rational behind this practice. What I am aware of is that plain cloth policemen work undercover. They can be among the people and no one will notice them.

How can policemen operate like that? Are they permitted to go on operation dressed like that? Can they present themselves as policemen without wearing uniform? What message are they sending to criminals? Is that not a bad precedent? What will come to a smart criminal's mind?

I think this practice is very wrong and not in the interest of security which we are all craving for. We have had reports of criminals wearing military and/or police uniform to commit atrocities. Now that policemen brandish AK-47 wearing mufti, how can we identify a group of criminals appearing in the same manner. 

The police authority should bring these men to order. Their acts, in my own opinion, will give criminals ideas on how to operate in addition to whatever ideas they already have. That is disorderliness demonstrating itself. Police should be a symbol of orderliness and discipline. 

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