Editorials

Nigeria’s Endless Cycle of Police Violence – How Many More Must Die?

A Stray Bullet, A Stolen Future

Kehinde Alade, a bright 14-year-old student, had his life brutally cut short on May 20 when a police officer’s reckless gunfire pierced his father’s car in Ibadan. The officer, part of a joint traffic enforcement team, fired indiscriminately, turning a routine morning commute into a nightmare. While officials claim the boy’s father resisted arrest, no traffic violation justifies the murder of a child.

This tragedy is not an accident—it is the inevitable result of a broken system that allows Nigeria’s police to kill without fear of consequences. Despite years of outcry, the bloodshed continues, proving that cosmetic reforms are not enough.

A Gruesome Timeline of State-Sanctioned Violence

Nigeria’s police have a long history of turning their weapons on the people they are meant to protect:

July 2021: Jumoke Oyeleke, 25, was killed by a stray bullet at a Lagos protest.
December 2022: Pregnant lawyer Bolanle Raheem was executed in her car by an officer during a traffic stop.
April 2022: Two men, Igwe Odinaka and Chikere Obieche, were shot dead by a drunk cop at a Lagos bar.
June 2022: Oliver Barawani, a university graduate, was gunned down at a Jalingo checkpoint.

According to Human Rights Watch, more than 8,000 Nigerians were extrajudicially killed by police in just seven years (2000-2007). Many victims were unarmed, falsely branded as criminals to cover up their murders.

#EndSARS Was Supposed to Change Things – What Went Wrong?

The 2020 #EndSARS movement shook the nation, with millions demanding an end to police brutality. The government dissolved the notorious SARS unit and promised reform. Yet half a decade later, officers still kill with the same impunity. Many ex-SARS members now operate under different names, continuing their reign of terror.

The root causes remain unaddressed:
✔ No Accountability – Killer cops face slaps on the wrist, if anything.
✔ Poor Training – Many officers see their guns as tools of intimidation, not last-resort protection.
✔ Corruption & Extortion – Low wages push officers to brutalize citizens for bribes.

The Way Forward – Justice, Not Excuses

Nigeria cannot afford another hollow promise. Concrete steps must include:
🔹 A Special Prosecution Unit – Dedicated to trying officers who commit murder.
🔹 Mandatory Body Cameras – To document all police interactions.
🔹 Community Policing – Rebuild trust between officers and civilians.
🔹 Mental Health Evaluations – Remove unstable officers from the force.

Kehinde Alade’s name should be the last added to Nigeria’s grim list of police brutality victims. But without real change, more children will die. The time for action is now.