THE TWO POLICE FORCES; NIGERIA & GERMANY

*Law and Development: Citizens protest, German Police and new example for law enforcement in Nigeria-* 

From the Nigerian thinking, the first act of the law following the 'Ekweremadu incident' in Nuremberg, Germany ought to be the raiding of homes by the police, mass arrests, and immediate deportation of the culprits and all their identified sympathisers. Even, false news of swift deportations of 48 Nigerians already made its way to the various media outlets here in some deluded wishful expectations.

Not so at all, and therein lies the lesson, good example and proper precedent for Nigeria police and government. For example, there was no presence of a battle ready column of Police Mopols escorts at that New yam festival in Germany; nor, following the incident, did a unit of a nearby Army Brigade arrive in a chain of Toyota Hilux vehicles to 'shoot at sight' under Operation Flying  Scorpion in aid of the Police, to contain the protesters and teach them a lesson.

The German Police instead came in, evaluated the situation, saw nothing criminal in the incident except to see it as a legitimate political expression of disgust at politicians and government. With the situation brought down, Ekweremadu's exit of the arena, the New yam festival proceeding with all cultural content, the police left the scene just as they came.

Now, there has been visible shock and lamentation in several quarters in Nigeria over the incident and how the German Police let off the opportunity to 'kill and go'. The report on Channels News saw an eager reporter wishing to hear of arrests and on-going investigations, but the German Police spokesman dismissed all.  

For others more reflective, with an eye for paradigm shift, the German Police has left for Nigerians at home and in diapora the first practical example for proper policing. 

The immediate lessons are: 

a. the Police is your friend as a citizen and not for the protection or projection of prestige of political persons and leaders; 

b. the law is not an instrument for the show of force and power by top government officials; 

c. expressions of disgust by citizens are part of the settled democratic behaviours which society, for progress, must hold as integral to citizens oversight rights over aberrant political behaviours of leaders.

d. law in action does not mean a single or joint operation by the Police, Army, DSS, etc of arrests, detention, investigation, prosecution, re-arrest or whatever, it is even better as peace building and enforcement as no Oga-at- the Top who must be obeyed scenario is allowed or exist in Germany.

The truth is that the former DSP found himself treated as the scapegoat for Nigeria's increasing failure of governance. The sense of frustration and alienation made him the easy target. He must see the incident not as a personal attack, but as a representative one and to that extent his grief and trauma over it must be minimal. Once citizens express disgust at political errors, the Germans have taught us that the Police can only come, calm the situation and go away.

 *Tony Odiadi*