It is tempting to say 'Serves them right' to the Osun state contingent which was stopped on its way to Abuja on October 25, 2011 by Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Mr Amamama Ababakasanga, .One may be tempted to say so with a rider that 'What are they going to Abuja to do' Cann't they mind their own business in Osun where they are domiciling''It is tempting to dismiss the people on the basis of their possibly being political charlatans. On the basis of the foregoing therefore, it is tempting to say that the treatment meted out to them by the Kogi Police Commissioner was in orderBut doing so would mean we are harming ourselves instalmentally. Reports have it that some people who took off from Osogbo, Osun State capital heading for Abuja, the country's Federal Capital, were stopped before they entered the FCT through Kogi State. Kogi State PC, Ababakasanga stated that they were so stopped, detained and later turned back to where they were coming from because they could not explain what they were going to Abuja to do. 'Somebody that is going to Abuja' the police commissioner averred, ' should be able to tell us his mission. So since they don't know their mission to Abuja, we stopped them from moving further.'Although psychology certainly would be one of the subjects police in training could study before becoming an officer, it is curious that Ababaksanga is so adept in reading human beings that he 'knew' that the 28 odd people could leave Osun state for Abuja without knowing what they were going there to do. The matter would just have been laughed off but for its seriousness - the serious implication it has for us all if such a thing is allowed to continue.Firstly, where in the constitution of Nigeria ' or any law of the land for that matter ' is it stated that Nigerian citizens who are not under trial or on bail of any sort must disclose their mission for traveling within the country; especially when there is no curfew and when there is nothing on the citizen to suggest evil intention(s) on his/her part.It is true that the timing of their journey coincided with the time the case of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu was coming up for hearing in an Abuja High Court. It is indeed possible they are going for this trial. The question is: when has it become an offence to go to watch an event (in this case a court proceeding) in which one is interested' When has it become a necessity for the police to stop Nigerians from moving around even when they are not armed or give any indication of violence' And why couldn't Kogi Police Command leave the decision of whether or not to allow crowd in the court premises to the court and/or Abuja Police Command'Sounding majestic, Ababasanga, the commissioner of police declared:'Since they (the Osun state contingent) have no mission going to Abuja, I asked my men to escort them outside Kogi. They can use another route to Abuja, but not through my state. Anybody who is leaving his house to somewhere should have a mission. But in this case they don't have. So we see it as secret, and the secret might be evil.'When John Campbell, an American diplomat released his book entitled Nigeria; Dancing on the Brink, (Bookcraft, in 2010, many people ' especially among the ruling class ' condemned him for being harsh on Nigeria. In the introductory pages, the former US Ambassador to Nigeria has written of how much the police abuse the rights of Nigerians and how much extra judicial killings take place here especially in the hands of those who are supposed to protect the citizens. His remarks drew a lot of flaks from the Nigerian bourgeoisie. Now, can someone tell me what the treatment of the Osun 28 in the hands of the Kogi State Police was if not human rights abuses' First, they were stopped from going to their destination, second, they were detained, and third, they were turned back. A friend here said they should count themselves lucky that they were not shot and dubbed armed robbers who lost their lives in an exchange of gunfires with the police!My friend's submission should not be dismissed with a wave of hands. What is beyond our police' We don't need to crack our brains too much to recall that it was on this same Kogi ' Abuja road that some policemen, years ago, attacked a vehicle, robbed the passengers and set their vehicle on fire. It was on this same Kogi ' Abuja road that highway robbers, just a few months ago, forced some travelers to lie down and a luxurious bus matched on them till they die agonizing deaths. In these and several other instances of criminality, what did the police do' What are they doing to several cases of criminality happening everyday ' and every night'The reason for bringing up this matter up for a discussion today is not necessarily to condemn the police ' condemnable as their conducts are! I brought it up because of the larger implication the Police Commissioner's action has for us all. A precedent is being set whereby citizens would have to be explaining their missions before they are allowed free movement. Especially if these citizens are suspected to be members or sympathizers of political opponents. Perceptive watchers of political antics have an admonition which politicians should heed: Never dig the pit meant for your enemy too deep in case you ' rather than your 'enemy' ' fall into it. Police and sundry security agencies may be handy to political office holders today 'to deal' with their 'enemies'. They would do themselves a lot of good to remember that they would not be in such positions for ever.And for the police who are volunteering themselves for such despicable acts, they better remember that they swore to protect the citizens using the laws and the constitution as their guide. And more importantly, those using them will not be in a position to help them forever ' especially when the cock comes home to roost, which it will certainly do!We all have a reason to stop those who want to turn Nigeria into a Police state. Let us check them now before they check us all into a big prison-yard.
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