Eben Enasco Reporting.
In the same month, two Nigerians who are probably innocent have lost their lives.
The identical incidents happened on December 7, and 25, 2022 with both victims identified as Gafaru Buraimoh and Omobolanle Raheem, a legal practitioner reportedly shot dead by a trigger-happy police officer.
Painful as it would sound before the sane, one of the two victims, Omobalanle Raheem was murdered in the presence of her husband and kids at Ajiwe on their way from Christmas Eve Church Service by a Police Officer.
Fast as it has always been, there were condemnations from the police top officers who for whatever reason tucked in no visible action parades.
Even as a lawyer, the alleged murderous police officer could not respect her professional background but sniffed life out of her at quick trigger efforts procured with citizens’ collective patrimony.
Cases have punched the public glare of numerous police gun shootings which is now reoccurring again in many quarters unchecked.
Although it is normal for the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, to condemn the shooting and killing of Omobolanle Raheem, a married lawyer based in Lagos who was allegedly shot and killed by a Policeman attached to Ajiwe Police Station, Ajiwe, Lagos State.
It’s not enough to believe in the condemnation that will never provide a life that has been lost but to do more than enough to end all forms of intimidation.
Despite the quick assurances of the public of justice in the case while he warns officers and men of the Force to be professional and Nigeria Police Force people-
oriented in the discharge of their duties and operating within the ambit of the law, the Force’s leadership has not done enough to curtail any inappropriate or unprofessional acts.
Professionalism in police operations is strictly in the body language of the IGP, the Zonal AIGs, the Commissioner of Police, DPOs, and other superior officers.
In one breath, junior officers are told to make up targets through the collection of tip-offs while mounting roadblocks.
When junior officers are told to make up over 200,000 naira per day, they are under pressure to deliver and this could stem negative multiplier effects on innocent citizens.
These police officers who are on the road behave like warriors, in their attempts, to harass and shoot at likely provocations on their targeted victims.
The monies collected are never theirs for a keep but belong to the high and mighty in the police hierarchy.
When trouble looms, the big officers would outrightly deny sending out such directives.
Moses and the Israelites at the bank of the Red Sea cried to God in Exodus 14:10 “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel CRIED OUT UNTO THE LORD.
This verse in the Bible is a reflection of the 2017 incident when Nigerian youths adopted a campaign against brutality from the Nigeria Police Force.
The objective was to catalyze mass action against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS, a unit of the NPF set up to respond to armed robberies.
The campaign, which adopted a mix of online and offline strategies, was popularly known on social media as #EndSARS.
Over ten thousand Nigerians signed a petition and submitted it to the National Assembly calling for the unit’s disbandment, citing various cases of abuse against Nigerian youths.
Although efforts were made by the National Assembly, the National Human Rights Commission, the police chief, and even the vice president, not much changed.
This eventually snowballed into the 2018 huge protests against the police authority.
Several Nigerians in Ikoyi toll gate Lagos who demanded justice lost their lives to an act of deliberate shooting allegedly carried out by the government.
Police divisional stations were razed by angry youths who thought police should have done enough to protect citizens but resort to killing instead.
Nigerian youths are once again incubating on going to the streets to protest against the recent extra Judicial Killings of Gafaru Buraimoh and Omobolanle Raheem, a legal practitioner reportedly shot dead by a trigger-happy police officer.
On social media, many young Nigerians recount gory stories of their encounters with the squad, with some reporting cases of brutality, abduction, extortion, extrajudicial killings, and false imprisonment.
Everywhere now in media spaces, questions are raised, on who then will save the innocent being killed by unrepentant police officers.
It will be clinical, to get justice in the case of the two murdered Nigerians by Nigerians who are supposed to protect them.
Police authority must look inward to prevent further recurrence and make citizens coexist gaily.