Reasons Lagos Police Officers Are Aggressive

In Lagos, the police are known to be aggressive. Cases of
police brutality and extra-judicial murder are common
make them the most dangerous force in Nigeria. Why are
Lagos police different?
We bring you the top 5 reasons for their notoriety.
Disobedience
Lagos police officers hate disobedience and don’t take
the offence lightly. If a policeman asks you to wait and
you take a step, you’re likely to see the combat part of
him. Regardless of what your reasons are or if you’re
right, or not, you need to first obey the ‘command’. It’s
safer to provide explanation after you have obeyed. If
you don’t want to land in a police station defending
charges of offences you did not commit, then “obey
before complain”.

Lagos Police are known for their brutality
Lagos policemen are very likely to employ force and
physically attack you if you are trying to resist arrest.
They consider it an insult on their personality and
profession. If a policeman feels your offence will be
better treated at the station, it’s reasonable to follow or
better still, make your plea immediately. Physically
standing your ground is likely to be a challenge of
strength between you and the armed policeman which is
a dangerous signal. Policemen immediately become
aggressive as soon a person gives the indication that he is
physically stronger.
Bribery
It is no secret that bribery is an aspect of the police
force that is yet to be contained. Lagos policemen are
not saints when it comes to this practice and can become
very aggressive when a person refuses to give bribe.
Bribery is seen as a right and policemen demand it at
will. Whether a person commits an obvious crime or not is
not even an issue. The refusal to give what the police
consider their dues can result in an aggressive action.
Invoke Superior Forces
Nothing annoys Lagos police officers more than a person
suddenly reaching out to higher authorities when dealing
with them. For example, if someone is a potential ‘cow’
that the police men are planning to milk suddenly grabs
his phone and calls the commissioner of police or a
political figure that can suddenly call off their
‘operation’, policemen find this annoying. That period is
a boiling point and if the person doesn’t handle the
situation well, it can become volatile.

Speaking ‘Grammar’
A long explanation to a policeman laced with
constitutional injunction is an invitation for trouble.
Lagos police get mad when a person tries to talk himself
out of trouble by quoting sections of the constitution to
prove that he has not committed an offence is regarded
as a sign of ego and disrespect and Lagos police get very
aggressive when that happens. Thy like it when a person
falls back to communicating in pidgin English instead of
invoking queen’s English!