- Safiu Kehinde
Nigerian Social Media Influencer, Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has given the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, reasons why the arrest and extortion of youths by operatives of the Force cannot stop.
Reacting to the Egbetokun’s ban of Nigerian Police from arbitrary arrests, detention of youths, and checking of phones, VDM talked down the directive as he cited that the Policemen’s poor living condition as a hindering factor to the IGP’s directive.
As seen in a video shared by the online influencer on Tuesday, VDM claimed the IGP’s words does not hold water as he narrated the ordeal of the Police officials.
“This is not the first time that the Police have said and will not be the last time because it will not stop. This thing that the IG said here does not hold water. These talks no get level.
“The Police on the road are suffering. I just commot for Panti, as I turn I see Police Barracks I say Police no go stop to dey extort boys.
“These people are living like animals. See their barracks dey smell. They can’t even modernize it. These are Barracks built around 1990s. These Policemen dey live like beggars and you say make dem no extort people.
“How much are you paying them. seventy-eighty thousand Naira wey be say before month end dem don borrow money.” he said.
VDM also recounted how a policeman had pleaded with him to help voice out their plights which include poor welfare package after retirement.
“I dey pass the other day for Eko Hotel in the night, me and Coco P. Police stopped me. Normally dem wan ask for Roger. But as dem see say na me, dey come close. Dem sey baba help us talk. We dey suffer.
“He dey even talk about people wey finish before am say dem never even get their pension and gratuity no dey.”
“So immediately they leave the Force, they go straight to sufferings. Because all their years of service, there is nothing to show for it. So they use their time now to gather money.
“A lot of these policemen stopping boys and collecting money from them, you think they are happy? Most of these people they are collecting money from are their children. So when they see these young boys driving a better car, they will be like make I collect from this guy.” he said.
VDM, however, charged the IGP to take actions on the welfare of Police personnel or end up failing like his predecessors.
He also charged Nigerians to lend their voices over the plight of the policemen.
“If the IG wants to say all these, he should say it with a background work. If not, we will continue suffering in this country.
“This Police problem will continue to be a problem. Restructure the Police Force. Increase their salaries. Restructure their barracks and remodel them.
“Do a very good planning on how they will get their pension when they retire so that they won’t suffer. If police commot now he go dey fear because he will never get his pension.
“You keep person for road with gun, you dey pay am 70,000 Naira and you say make he no thief. See the house where he commot from wey be like beggar house. Una no fit refurbish their place. It’s really sad. The police are going through a lot.
“If the IGP thinks he can just talk and things will stop, then he is joking and lying to himself.
“And Nigerians if you no talk for Police, una go suffer. You have to talk for the policemen. It will not stop 100 percent if they increase their salary, but it will reduce drastically.
“IG, your word doesn’t hold water in the matter unles you restructrize everything. Or else, you will fail like the predecessors before you because the other IGs have also failed,
“In doing these small things, treat your own well. Then if you now catch anyone extorting people, you can penalize them.
“But for now you can’t do nothing. Even the people you will send to implement these your talks will also go there and do the same thing.” VDM added