Human rights activist Deji Adeyanju has sounded the alarm on Nigeria’s dire security situation, slamming the government for allocating a meager 13,000 police officers to combat banditry.
Adeyanju who stated this on Tick Tock lamented that a staggering 130,000 police officers are tasked with protecting influential politicians.
This shocking disparity according to Adeyanju underscores the country’s skewed priorities.
Adeyanju pointedly observed that even small-time fraudsters command more police protection than entire communities under siege by bandits, stressing that the stark contrast raises questions about the government’s commitment to safeguarding its citizens.
He said with over 3,600 police officers assigned to senators and representatives alone, it’s clear that Nigeria’s security forces are beholden to politicians rather than the people.
This systemic flaw he emphasized perpetuates the country’s insecurity, leaving vulnerable communities to bear the brunt.
He said the government must reassess its allocation of resources and prioritize the protection of all citizens, not just the powerful and influential.
Adeyanju said “Let me give you a simple analogy of how doomed this country is: among the police, only 13,000 officers are engaged in fighting banditry and terrorist activities.
“You can verify this with the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) or through the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, while 130,000 are following influential figures around.
“In the Senate and House of Representatives alone, there are 3,600 Police Officers attached to jobless senators and representatives. Why will insecurity not persist in the country?
“Only in Nigeria you see one small-time fraudster who commands four or five policemen, that’s why the country is in dire straits. I apologize for the language, but the country is truly doomed, and there’s no coming back from it.
“In any nation where the Police, State Security Service (SSS), and Army are subcontracted to politicians instead of serving the public, the system can never work.”