Govt abandoned police personnel in aftermath of #EndSARS protesters — Officer
By Modupe Shodeinde
A Superintendent of the Nigeria Police Force has accused the Federal Government of failing to provide succor to police officers who lost their properties in the recent #EndSARS protests.
The officer, whose Area F station under the Lagos State Command was burnt, made this known in an interview with Daily Post.
Lamenting the loss of his personal effects in the burnt station, the officer said the government had done nothing to assist the affected policemen weeks after the incident.
He said this has caused a drop in morale of policemen and was responsible for continued absence of some officers from their duty post.
His words: “It’s as if the End SARS protest was targeted at bringing out the maladies surrounding the Nigeria Police Force. It’s through the campaign that the whole world got to know that the police is one of the most neglected organisations.
“Police budget is very poor in terms of what is approved and released.
“Though, the protest was later hijacked by thugs and miscreants in which most of the people the campaign was supposed to favour became victims.
“Policemen were killed, maimed, injured with our properties looted and burnt, this led to their low morale.
“They have been bracing up, trying to bounce back but what has the government done to our burnt properties, now Nigerians are asking us to come back.
“They are saying police should resume but many stations were destroyed and now they are asking us to rent canopies, tents and start skeletal services.
“They complain that the morale of policemen are low yet nothing has been done to replace their properties destroyed.
“Urban areas like Lagos and Benin where rent is very high, most police officers use their vehicles as a bedroom and most often go home during the weekend or fortnightly. Now that their vehicles have been destroyed how would they cope? They keep saying go back to your duty post but how will these officers survive?
“They are saying police should resume but many stations were destroyed and now they are asking us to rent canopies, tents and start skeletal services.
“They complain that the morale of policemen are low yet nothing has been done to replace their properties destroyed.
“Urban areas like Lagos and Benin where rent is very high, most police officers use their vehicles as a bedroom and most often go home during the weekend or fortnightly. Now that their vehicles have been destroyed how would they cope? They keep saying go back to your duty post but how will these officers survive?
“They made some promises but nothing has been done to alleviate the pains of officers.”
