When protectors become predators.
IF Nigeria remains the same by 2027, then let no one be surprised if war breaks out. Hunger is already chewing deep into the bone marrow of the nation. Nigerians are gasping under economic hardship, yet while poverty stares them in the face, harassment from those in uniform crushes their very spirit. Must Nigerians suffer hunger and still live under constant intimidation? The danger today is not only the bandits in the forest but also the criminals in multicolored uniforms roaming our streets. These officers — police, vigilantes, Amotekun — have turned their duty into tyranny. They trample the dignity of citizens in the mud and forget that even during an arrest, a citizen still has rights. The use of force is only lawful when a suspect attempts to flee or threatens violence, not when an officer wants to extort money. Extortion has become their trademark. Just recently, a young man on Oyo State’s Ogbomoso road made a live video, crying out to Nigerians and VeryDarkMan, as he was harassed by a police officer. His load was scattered across the road because he refused to pay ₦200. The officer shamelessly defended himself, saying: “Did I beat you?” — yet he never denied scattering the young man’s belongings or requesting ₦200. For ₦200, a man’s dignity was thrown on the highway. What then is the difference between these officers and the criminals in the bush?
At 5pm on July 13, a National Youth Service Corps member, Jennifer Eloho, was brutalised by Anambra security operatives, otherwise known as Agunechemba — vigilantes established to support police operations and safeguard local communities. Armed with guns, they stormed the corps members’ lodge in Oba, Idemili Local Government Area, accusing them of being internet fraudsters. A video of the beating went viral despite her cries for help. Jennifer was not only beaten — her dignity was thrown into the bin. If vigilantes empowered to protect communities can turn against unarmed youths serving their nation, then who is safe? In July 2025, another viral video from Adebayo area of Ado-Ekiti showed police officers trying to gain forceful entry into an apartment in broad daylight. The resident, Michael, captured the incident and shared it on X (formerly Twitter). Up till today, the police are still “investigating.” No officer has been named, no punishment announced, no justice seen. The silence of the police force is louder than any explanation — it smells of complicity. In April 2025, a lady in Ise-Orun, Ekiti State, accused a police officer of stabbing her father. Her testimony, captured on Punch Newspaper’s site, is chilling: her younger brother had a quarrel with a female classmate, which escalated until the girl called her boyfriend. When they stormed the house, they met only the elder brother. She narrated: “One of them went inside first and my brother started challenging the police officer — asking what did he do and why they were taking him to the station. In response, the officer started harassing him physically. At that point, the elder brother called my father to come and see what was happening. When my father came to separate the fight, another police officer stabbed him in the belly. Fortunately, my father used his hand to block the knife, and it tore his hand instead.”
IF Nigeria remains the same by 2027, then let no one be surprised if war breaks out. Hunger is already chewing deep into the bone marrow of the nation. Nigerians are gasping under economic hardship, yet while poverty stares them in the face, harassment from those in uniform crushes their very spirit. Must Nigerians suffer hunger and still live under constant intimidation? The danger today is not only the bandits in the forest but also the criminals in multicolored uniforms roaming our streets. These officers — police, vigilantes, Amotekun — have turned their duty into tyranny. They trample the dignity of citizens in the mud and forget that even during an arrest, a citizen still has rights. The use of force is only lawful when a suspect attempts to flee or threatens violence, not when an officer wants to extort money. Extortion has become their trademark. Just recently, a young man on Oyo State’s Ogbomoso road made a live video, crying out to Nigerians and VeryDarkMan, as he was harassed by a police officer. His load was scattered across the road because he refused to pay ₦200. The officer shamelessly defended himself, saying: “Did I beat you?” — yet he never denied scattering the young man’s belongings or requesting ₦200. For ₦200, a man’s dignity was thrown on the highway. What then is the difference between these officers and the criminals in the bush?
At 5pm on July 13, a National Youth Service Corps member, Jennifer Eloho, was brutalised by Anambra security operatives, otherwise known as Agunechemba — vigilantes established to support police operations and safeguard local communities. Armed with guns, they stormed the corps members’ lodge in Oba, Idemili Local Government Area, accusing them of being internet fraudsters. A video of the beating went viral despite her cries for help. Jennifer was not only beaten — her dignity was thrown into the bin. If vigilantes empowered to protect communities can turn against unarmed youths serving their nation, then who is safe? In July 2025, another viral video from Adebayo area of Ado-Ekiti showed police officers trying to gain forceful entry into an apartment in broad daylight. The resident, Michael, captured the incident and shared it on X (formerly Twitter). Up till today, the police are still “investigating.” No officer has been named, no punishment announced, no justice seen. The silence of the police force is louder than any explanation — it smells of complicity. In April 2025, a lady in Ise-Orun, Ekiti State, accused a police officer of stabbing her father. Her testimony, captured on Punch Newspaper’s site, is chilling: her younger brother had a quarrel with a female classmate, which escalated until the girl called her boyfriend. When they stormed the house, they met only the elder brother. She narrated: “One of them went inside first and my brother started challenging the police officer — asking what did he do and why they were taking him to the station. In response, the officer started harassing him physically. At that point, the elder brother called my father to come and see what was happening. When my father came to separate the fight, another police officer stabbed him in the belly. Fortunately, my father used his hand to block the knife, and it tore his hand instead.”
When protectors become predators.
IF Nigeria remains the same by 2027, then let no one be surprised if war breaks out. Hunger is already chewing deep into the bone marrow of the nation. Nigerians are gasping under economic hardship, yet while poverty stares them in the face, harassment from those in uniform crushes their very spirit. Must Nigerians suffer hunger and still live under constant intimidation? The danger today is not only the bandits in the forest but also the criminals in multicolored uniforms roaming our streets. These officers — police, vigilantes, Amotekun — have turned their duty into tyranny. They trample the dignity of citizens in the mud and forget that even during an arrest, a citizen still has rights. The use of force is only lawful when a suspect attempts to flee or threatens violence, not when an officer wants to extort money. Extortion has become their trademark. Just recently, a young man on Oyo State’s Ogbomoso road made a live video, crying out to Nigerians and VeryDarkMan, as he was harassed by a police officer. His load was scattered across the road because he refused to pay ₦200. The officer shamelessly defended himself, saying: “Did I beat you?” — yet he never denied scattering the young man’s belongings or requesting ₦200. For ₦200, a man’s dignity was thrown on the highway. What then is the difference between these officers and the criminals in the bush?
At 5pm on July 13, a National Youth Service Corps member, Jennifer Eloho, was brutalised by Anambra security operatives, otherwise known as Agunechemba — vigilantes established to support police operations and safeguard local communities. Armed with guns, they stormed the corps members’ lodge in Oba, Idemili Local Government Area, accusing them of being internet fraudsters. A video of the beating went viral despite her cries for help. Jennifer was not only beaten — her dignity was thrown into the bin. If vigilantes empowered to protect communities can turn against unarmed youths serving their nation, then who is safe? In July 2025, another viral video from Adebayo area of Ado-Ekiti showed police officers trying to gain forceful entry into an apartment in broad daylight. The resident, Michael, captured the incident and shared it on X (formerly Twitter). Up till today, the police are still “investigating.” No officer has been named, no punishment announced, no justice seen. The silence of the police force is louder than any explanation — it smells of complicity. In April 2025, a lady in Ise-Orun, Ekiti State, accused a police officer of stabbing her father. Her testimony, captured on Punch Newspaper’s site, is chilling: her younger brother had a quarrel with a female classmate, which escalated until the girl called her boyfriend. When they stormed the house, they met only the elder brother. She narrated: “One of them went inside first and my brother started challenging the police officer — asking what did he do and why they were taking him to the station. In response, the officer started harassing him physically. At that point, the elder brother called my father to come and see what was happening. When my father came to separate the fight, another police officer stabbed him in the belly. Fortunately, my father used his hand to block the knife, and it tore his hand instead.”
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