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Friday, 25 September 2015

We have nowhere to go if police evict us –Policemen living in barracks

With less than five days before they would be sent packing from their rickety room and parlour apartments, an air of confusion and frustration has been blowing across various barracks in Lagos State, sweeping away the stability of the ‘fearful men in uniform’ and putting them under severe tension.

The affected barracks are those belonging to the Lagos State Railway Police Command, where not less than 60 families living in the barracks have been given notice to quit the premises by September 30.

PUNCH Metro had on September 1, 2015 reported that the affected policemen were given 60 days by the Railway Command to vacate the barracks. The Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command in the state, Pius Imue, had told The Punch that those affected by the notice were retired officers, civilians living in the barracks and the officers serving outside Lagos.

But, with the commissioner’s explanation, those who got the notice and are still serving with the Lagos State Police Command should roll out the drums and celebrate the fact that they could still retain their apartments in the barracks, but rather than celebrate, their fears are growing by the day.

Findings showed that the policemen who got the notice to quit are those who are no longer serving with the Lagos State Railway Police Command, even though they are still serving under Lagos State. Thus, they got the allocation while serving with the Railway Command, but since most of the occupants are no longer with the Railway Command and had been transferred to other commands, the Railway Police authority expects them to quit the apartments to make way for policemen serving with the command.

The quit notice

When Saturday PUNCH visited the Jericho Barracks at Ijora on Saturday, the tension that permeated the neighbourhood was noticeable, occasioned by an unusual silence. Even the children that used to play in the open field remained indoors in the spirit of the season. And most of the officers and men living in the barracks seemed to be either enjoying their last moments in their rooms or planning on what to do.

But right at a corner beside one of the blocks were some officers who formed a cluster, discussing the looming eviction. On an enquiry on what they planned to do about the notice, the distressed policemen, who appeared like people who had been waiting to talk but had no platform, opened up to our correspondent, expressing their dissatisfaction.

They wasted no time in pouring out their anger. “How can the police tell us to quit? Is it fair? Are we not policemen serving in Lagos State? Where do they expect us to go with our wives and children? What kind of country is this? Is this the best way to treat your people who devote their lives to the service of this country? What is the meaning of that?”

They were all raving and the questions came from all angles with emotions traceable to mixed of anger, frustration and fear.

One of them who preferred to be addressed as Jones said he used to work with the Railway Police Command before he was redeployed to another unit in the state. He had lived in the barracks for about three years.

He said, “I once served with the Railway Police Command but I was transferred from the Railway Command to the Lagos State Police Command. I have a wife and five children. Where do I take them to? I don’t even have the money to rent a house now. And every month, they deduct N10,000 from my salary as rent, which is okay by me.

“If the commissioner is saying we should leave because we are no longer in his Command, it means policemen serving with the Railway Command and are living in barracks belonging to other commands should also be sent out, which is wrong.”

Another officer, who appeared to be deeply unsettled by the development emphasised that the Nigeria Police Force should be one and should not discriminate against its officers. “But what do we have at the moment; we are being given notice to quit because we are no longer with the Railway Command, and we are still working in Lagos State.”

He added, “I almost laughed when I read that the commissioner said those who got the letter were those who had either retired, on transferred out of Lagos or civilians. I am serving in Lagos State and I got the letter.

“It is even embarrassing for the commissioner to think that there are civilians in the barracks, how would they have got the allocation? This accommodation is not even enough for policemen, not to talk of having surplus that civilians can benefit from.

“Every allocation to the barracks goes through the Provost, who is in charge of all the barracks in the state, so, there is no way a civilian can get allocation. It is not even possible, and we know ourselves. Besides, the notice didn’t even originate from the Provost, which is wrong.

“The commissioner gave those reasons to divert attention from the real issue. What we know is that he wants us to leave so they could re-allocate the apartments to the policemen that are serving with the Railway Command at the moment. Police is one and a policeman should be able to live in any police barracks in the state. I just hope that this won’t set a bad precedent, which might cause a division within the police in the nearest future.”

The stories shared by the policemen in the Jericho barracks are the same with what obtains in other affected barracks. However, some of them said since they had no place to go, they would be waiting for the police authorities to come and evict them by the end of the month.

From grass to zero

It is even interesting to note that the barracks from which these officers would be evicted are in serious state of disrepair. Saturday Punch had on August 1, 2015 published a report on the poor state of police barracks, titled, ‘We live like rats, yet Nigerians want us to be their friends – policemen.’

For instance, the Jericho barracks has no potable water as their only source of water supply was through a broken pipe and they have to queue every morning to fetch water from it. So also are the buildings. There were cracks and obvious signs of a failed settlement when our correspondent visited, but as untidy, smelly and unkempt as these barracks are, policemen jostle to get allocation in them. In fact, one of the policemen who got the quit order said he had to pay several thousands of naira to secure the accommodation.

“Because of the high demand for it, we have to bribe the relevant officials to be able to get allocation, and the money could be as high as N200,000. So, leaving this kind of facility is like moving from grass to nothing, while others are moving from grass to grace. Because we are just managing this place, and then they want to send us away again,” the officer said.

Policing with a broken heart

The affected policemen lamented that the quit order and the silence of the police authorities have put them under pressure. They fear that their worst fears might come to pass. However, they vowed that they had nowhere to go unless their belongings were thrown out of the apartments.

Another policeman, who also got a letter to quit, told our correspondent that anytime he remembers the troubles that might follow his eviction from the barracks, he gets depressed. He noted that the problems in the Force were enough headaches already, not to talk of having more.

He said, “I have been promoted to the rank of an Inspector since two years ago, and by virtue of that promotion, I’m supposed to have salary increase, regardless of the amount of increment and I’m supposed to leave the barracks for the one that befits my rank. But as of today, two years after promotion, nothing has been added to my salary. I only bear an Inspector as a title, it comes with no benefit and I still have to hold on to this accommodation. And now they want to evict me from it. That is not fair.

“Anytime I remember what might happen, I feel sad, because this is the same police that when you join, the only thing you won’t buy is gun. I bought all my kits with my own money, I use my money to carry out repair works in my apartment, despite the N10,000 that is being deducted from my salary every month, and other things.

“Most of us live from hands to mouth and we have families to feed. There is no way I can raise money to relocate now. There is no peace of mind, and that is why sometimes you hear that policemen shoot or harass fellow citizens. I’m not saying it’s good, but we don’t have rest of mind. The Nigeria Police is fraught with challenges.

“On that September 30, they might have to throw my things away because I don’t have anywhere to go and I don’t even have money to rent a house.”

When contacted to comment on the issue, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olabisi Kolawole, promised to investigate the matter and revert to our correspondent, which she had yet to do as of press time.

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com



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