The burden of protecting lives and property in Nigeria has been placed squarely on the shoulders of the Nigerian Police Force. In the Federal Capital Territory, Policemen who are largely clad in black uniforms are seen everywhere clutching diligently, their weapons (guns, batons or even tear gas canister), ready for any emergency.
While some of them use vehicles to patrol the length and breadth of the city, looking out for trouble makers, others do that on foot, many times, under the scorching Abuja sun. Yet the most common feature of police presence in the city is the cluster of men of the force around traffic lights. Although they do not have any scientific way of knowing whether motorists actually broke traffic rules, they manage to press home their charges when they get hold of an offender.
In spite of their efforts to curb crime in the city, public perception of their usefulness and ability to protect lives and property has remained debatable. Victims of robbery attacks tell stories of calling for help only for the police to arrive after the deed has been done. The force has, however, been trying to convince Nigerians that it is doing its best, despite difficulties and under funding by the Federal Government.
A visitor to the FCT will notice a number of Police observation posts. The Police observation posts initiative began around 2005 when there were suggestions that having such posts at strategic locations, particularly along major highways, could curb highway crimes. It was also supposed to serve the mobile patrol units in need of reinforcements or information necessary for crime prevention.
However, the problem of communication between different posts and patrol units has been a problem. The poorly kept posts (tents) built with tarpaulins across the highways are mostly in tatters.
However, the observation posts have moved from the highways into towns and villages in Abuja. This time, they are no longer tents, but containers painted in the green, blue and yellow colours of the Nigeria Police Force.
Containers are primarily used for cargo shipments. The rectangular iron container, usually about a length of 20ft and with a height of about 9ft, is a portable means of transporting goods across international waters by ships.
The container is becoming a ready warehouse for construction and manufacturing companies. In fact, construction companies use it as office structure at construction sites and in their main yards. At some point, it was the housing component of their trucks used to convey workers to and from construction sites.
In recent times, traders in the city use it as shops here instead of building illegal shops likely to attract the wrath of the FCT Development Control Department which is in charge of demolition in the city. Once there are signs that the bulldozers are on their way, they simply make the arduous effort of relocating it, only to return it once the demolition exercise is over.
The adoption of this large metal box for use by the Police as observation posts is innovative. The ”box” is reconstructed by electric welders who cut out windows and doors spaces from the containers.
While some of the posts have additional roofing and ceiling to check heat and radiation, others are left without any of these, leaving the officers on duty to bear the harsh effect of the sun.
A police officer in one of the posts in Jikwoyi area of Abuja said the posts are meant for surveillance and for quick response to the need of the people living in the area.
According to him, the posts can also act as a police station in places where a regular police station is far away.
Another policeman who spoke to our correspondent in Karu said the post provides a resting place for patrol units. He, however, noted that they would need improvements in terms of facilities including communication equipments to function more effectively.
But the people in the communities do not see any difference in the presence of the observation centres. Tolu, a resident of Kpeyegwi, said that he had been seeing the posts, but he was not sure if it meant any value to the community.
According to him, robbers were having a field day in the area with late or no response from the policemen. He said, ”It is only God that is protecting us. We just pray that nothing evil happens, because whenever we have such attacks, people are left on their own. Even when the police eventually come, the criminals are already done with what they came to do and have escaped into the nearby bush.”
But Sunday, a civil servant believes that the observation centres have been justifying their names. He said their duty, as far as he was concerned, was to observe happenings around the areas and when there were issues, the officers could intervene and arrest the situation. ”I don‘t see anything bad in what they are doing; you can see that most of the men in the posts are not really very armed, but their presence can ward off criminals and give some feeling of safety to the people,” he said.
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Yemi Ajayi, said the observation posts had contributed to the reduction of crime in the city, particularly in areas without standard police stations.
He said policemen assigned to these posts were more involved in motorised patrols, adding that they were more effective at the various entry and exit points of the city.
He however debunked claims that the men on duty lacked communication equipment, arguing that the officers were equipped with walkie-talkie and mobile phones.
Commenting on the use of containers, Mr. Ajayi said, ”When the initiative started in 2004/2005, we started with tents, now we have moved on to containers which appear to be more permanent and who knows what it will be in the future.”
He said that the force has established over 70 posts across the Abuja area and could establish more, depending on the needs.
He noted that some of them act as police stations to the benefit of the host communities, averring that the gradual improvements in these centres would greatly improve the security situation in Abuja.
While the replication of observation centres across the city and its adjoining satellite towns is a welcome development, it is necessary for the police authority to make such posts conducive for effective policing. Such posts should be equipped with communication gadgets and other useful anticrime equipment to derive meaningful results from the investments on the project.
Source:http://www.punchng.com
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