For a long period of time, the aforementioned departments above have depicted some level of irresponsibility, unreliability and unworthiness which has resulted to Nigeria’s failure, regress and backwardness.
One of the major challenges faced by the Nigerian Police is corruption within its ranks. Some police officers engage in corrupt practices such as bribery, extortion, and abuse of power. This not only erodes public trust but also undermines the rule of law and perpetuates a culture of impunity. The many checkpoints mounted by security officers are sources of frustration and delay.
The NPF and various units of law enforcement agencies had continued to mount roadblocks across the country, particularly for extorting the motoring public, rather than for security reasons. Roadblocks and checkpoints mounted by security officers on the highway are not only sources of agony but are also making the journey to states across the country unattractive.
We understand that in as much as modern security is all about information gathering, digital monitoring and preventive mechanisms, the NPF cannot afford to do away with checkpoints. They are vibrant parts of visibility policing, which is crucial to effective policing of our contemporary society. But this cannot be a justification for what is happening on many of our roads. Aside from the menace of bad roads, the numerous checkpoints have become sources of hardship, nuisance, trauma and loss of valuable time as a journey of 10 hours can last for two days.
Coming to the Nigerian Judicial Council, they are gradually losing their integrity as a result of injustice emanating from bribery and corruption.
Corruption undermines the principle of equality before the law and weakens the judiciary and other law enforcement agencies. Although, the Nigerian legal system has established anti-corruption agencies to combat corruption, but they have been found wanting due to their partiality and ineffectiveness.
The system of corruption amongst the judicial officers and court administrative staffers is quite alarming. Judges are the voices of sentencing, but their freedom of choice is limited by the rule of law, good conscience, natural justice and equity.
Today’s role of the Nigerian Judiciary comprising the Judex and the Bar has been different. The law has lost a constructional role as a guidance and protector of a stable and democratic system, prompting a systematic mass towards desecration of temple of justice and states destruction. It has progressed negatively to an international public ridicule and odium, quite appalling.
The Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Judicial Council should wake up to their responsibilities to combat further crimes and make Nigeria a better place. We have no other country apart from this, hence, we need to guard it jealously from further setbacks.