Alarming Rate of Killing of Policemen

A recent report that indicates that at least 240 police personnel were killed between January 2023 and October 2024 signals a grave threat to the safety and security of all Nigerians, and demands decisive actions, Davidson Iriekpen writes

recently released report on the spike in the rate of killing of policemen is deeply troubling. The report revealed that no fewer than 240 personnel of the Nigeria Police were killed between January 2023 and October 2024.

The police officers, according to the report, were killed by bandits, hoodlums, gunmen, Boko Haram terrorists, cultists and armed robbers across the country.

In 2023 alone, 122 police officers of various ranks were killed, and 118 others killed within 10 months in 2024. There were also cases of police officers killed by mobs in parts of the country.

The most recent incident was that of ASP Augustine Osupayi of the Lagos Police Command, who was lynched in October by a mob in Agege when his team was trying to prevent an execution of jungle justice.

At least 12 officers were killed between January 2 and 30, 2023. Seven other police officers were killed the following month in Imo, Nasarawa, Edo, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Niger and Delta states.

This trend continued in March and April 2023, with the killing of 11 and 23 officers respectively.

The data also showed that bandits killed 11 police officers in Kebbi State on April 30, 2023, while ‘gunmen’ killed five cops in Imo State tate on April 21, 2023.

Between May and July of the same year, 36 personnel of the Nigeria Police were gunned down, with 17 casualties recorded in May.

Twenty-two police officers, according to the data, were killed in Benue State between August and December 2023.

At the beginning of this year, 15 policemen were killed at their respective duty posts. Seven of the slain officers were killed in Delta State.

Thirteen police officers were killed in February by members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB); while hoodlums killed a total of 10 cops in Ebonyi, Imo, Anambra and Edo states in March.

Many believe that the figure may be under-reported because of inadequate institutional statistics, as Nigeria’s security agencies are not known for being forthcoming with casualty details.

For police officers and men who are trained and armed to enforce law and order to be slaughtered at such an alarming rate in a country that is not at war, is an indication of how cheap life has become in Nigeria.

In separate attacks on the convoy of the former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim; the senator representing Anambra South, Ifeanyi Ubah, and Apostle Johnson Suleiman in 2022, a total of eight policemen were killed.

In Nigeria today, laying of ambush to kill security operatives on duty is assuming an alarming rate, particularly in the South-south, North-east, North-west and South-east regions of the country. The incidents in the North are understandable as soldiers and other security agencies are battling insurgency and banditry in the North-east and North-west.

Gunmen have so far killed over 60 police officers in attacks on towns and communities in the South-east geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The attacks were believed to have been carried out by the Eastern Security Network (ESN), an armed wing of the secessionist IPOB.

On November 11, officers of the NSCDC were killed in a separate ambush in Kaduna and Borno states by terrorists.

Last March, 17 soldiers were killed in the Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of (LGA) Delta State. The casualties include a Lieutenant Colonel, two Majors, one captain and 12 soldiers.

In April, the military high command confirmed that bandits ambushed and gunned down six soldiers at Roro, Karaga and Rumace communities, Bassa Ward, Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State. A captain was also said to have been abducted during the incident.

Whether it is in the North-east, North-west and South-east where the Army is fighting Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and IPOB insurgents respectively, hundreds of soldiers have equally been killed.

Data obtained from the Council on Foreign Relations’ Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), a website that tracks violent incidents related to political, economic, and social grievances directed at the state or other affiliated groups, revealed that non-state actors killed no fewer than 323 security officers in 2022.

The civilian population is not spared. Over 3,000 people were believed to have been killed and 3,500 kidnapped in the second quarter of this year.

The alarming rate of attacks on security personnel show a worrying trend of lawlessness. From bandits to kidnappers, these non-state actors appear to wield considerable power, leaving both security personnel and civilians vulnerable. Streets have become battlegrounds for hoodlums, and respect for laws seems to have diminished. This unfolding scenario is alarming and demands urgent attention.

Security agents deserve the respect of all and sundry as they go about their statutory responsibility of protecting the nation and its people. A country’s security architecture is its pride. When it is reduced to sitting ducks by rag-tag armies of non-state actors as it is happening now, the country loses its pride.

While the security of Nigeria’s citizens is of paramount importance, the loss of any member of the security forces is a tragic event that should not be taken lightly.

Nigeria is not known to be at war, and if non-state actors are allowed to become increasingly daring in their operations to the extent of killing this number of security officials, then the country will continue to be unsafe.

While many Nigerians appreciate the risks security personnel take in the course of carrying out their lawful duties, it has become increasingly important for security operatives to be more proactive in carrying out their professional duties so as not to become vulnerable to attacks.

Nigerian security operatives should improve their capacity for intelligence gathering and react professionally to intelligence reports to forestall attacks from ambushes by non-state actors.

Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo suggested that Nigeria’s security challenges and emerging threats had made it imperative for the country’s security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to be several steps ahead of these enemies of the society.

This is why the government must take a decisive step to halt this sacrilege now and deal decisively with sponsors and promoters of these violent groups that have held Nigeria to ransom.

Many analysts have advised governments to address the underlying social and economic issues that are fuelling violence. This could involve investing in programmes that address poverty and unemployment, as well as increasing access to education and other basic services.

Governments and security agencies should also work closely with the communities affected by violence, to ensure that they have a voice in the process of addressing the issues. This includes working with traditional and religious leaders, as well as civil society organisations, to build trust and establish effective communication channels.

Regardless of the reported misconduct of some bad elements within the force, Nigerians must unite in condemning these heinous acts against the police.

Above all, the federal government urgently needs to clamp down heavily on desperate politicians, who, in their various efforts to hold on to power or continue to remain relevant, sponsor non-state actors to wreak havoc or destabilise the polity.