Third, it proves that the need for reform in the police should, indeed, be a holistic one. In as much as the police has truly not covered itself in glory, over the years, the truth, however, is that there is hardly any institution in the country that has truly lived up to expectations. The academia, public and private institutions, religious and traditional institutions among others are all at one level of dissipation or the other. Therefore, if the truth must be established, the police, as it is, merely epitomizes what is relatively available in the larger society.

Where do we, then, go from here? Every institution in the country, the police inclusive, need to embrace critical reforms. Also, the citizenry must reorder their priority. Our efforts at nation-building have been torturous because we have imbibed the wrong attitude to leadership and followership. Whatever failure we have recorded as a nation is a collective one.

There is no need for buck-passing. We all must change to experience the change we desire. Discipline, integrity, hard work, honesty, and selflessness, among other hitherto revered virtues in our society, have taken the back seat.

The cheering thing, however, is that there is a glimpse of hope, if only we could consciously make up our mind to turn the corner. For instance, as bad as the much-vilified police seems, we have witnessed unbelievable acts of patriotism among some of them. For instance, we have seen police officers on the Third Mainland Bridge as well as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, assisting stranded motorists either to change damaged tires or help in other ways.

Therefore, in the interest of the country and peaceful co-existence, we need to build trust among the various segments of society. More importantly, the citizenry and the police must build new relationships that are anchored on trust and mutual respect. The police must get rid of all anti-people tendencies. It is only in doing this that the cliché: “The Police is your friend” would not amount to mere rhetoric without substance.

Similarly, people must also learn to trust and respect the police. Police officers are our brothers and sisters. They have chosen, at the risk of their lives, to protect us and our belongings. To do this, some of them are constantly under the sun, while others are awake all night. Policing is a particularly tough vocation in our country. The operational environment isn’t friendly; facilities, tools and the expertise required to do a seamless job aren’t readily available.

Certainly, undue hostility by the people against the police would complicate the situation, thereby spelling doom for public security. The delicate nature of the work of the police requires that we empathize with them. Going forward, communities, individuals and organisations must strengthen relationship with the police to enhance security.

Also, the appropriate authorities must urgently put up necessary machinery that will usher in the much-needed reforms in the Nigeria Police. Funding must be provided for the police to be able to access necessary facilities, training as well as the equipment needed for effective policing. The work environment, including the various police barracks, must be redeveloped to give the police the required mental and emotional aptitude needed to carry out their tough assignments.

On a final note, every section of the society must support the police to enhance public security. An effective public security cannot be obtained without the active involvement, participation, and support of every section of the society because public security is the responsibility of all individuals, groups, communities, organisations, and other units that constitute the state.

Criminals are not spirits, they dwell in our midst. We must, therefore, observe and report every strange movement and activities in our neighbourhood to the appropriate authorities. It is only when we develop a communal fortitude towards public security that the work of the police and other security agencies could be effectively harnessed.