#endsars protests aftermath: police victim of public anger against poor governance —Says Security Expert, Ona Ekhomu

A renowned Security Expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu , has traced the recent destruction and attacks targeted against the Police, as transferred agression meant for the Federal government. Ekhomu, who was a guest speaker at a motivational workshop and community policing for public service delivery, held at the Zone 2, Police Command, Onikan , Lagos, on Tuesday,November 10th,2020, said in his paper titled ” #ENDSARS Mass Action And The Governance Of Internal Security In Lagos” , posited that the wonton destruction and looting in the Aftermath of #ENDSARS Protests, was not targeted at the police Agency but based on the obvious fact that the attacks were specifically on the Federal Government Of Nigeria. He was also of the opinion that the hoodlums attacked the Police as an observable and exploitable arm of government. This is even as the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Ahmed Iliyasu of Zone 2 Command, enjoined officers of his command to return to policing the communities in Lagos and Ogun states.
The Police Chief who called on police officers to put the past behind them in the spirit of nationhood, urged them to assiduously work to correct the negative perception about police officers and policing.
“We must have a change of attitude to our duty and put the people as the centre point of our policing,” he said
AIG IIiyasu, emphasized that Policing strategy should be people centre, satisfactory to the people and good enough to remove the fear and uncertainty in the mind of the people anytime they have contact with the police.
He noted that the workshop was organised in tandem with the community policing intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, adding that Policing can be done in a manner that does the least harms and even prevent violence.
For him, the streets should not be deserted by the security agents, “Police must be available and respond to call or request for assistance regardless of status or background, ensure accessibility and high Police visibility.”
Still emphasizing on the attacks, Ekhomu argued that the police only bore the brunt of governance issues, ranging from the poor remuneration of police, the unemployment of youths, the hunger in the land, the poverty, the anger, the inequality which are not under the control of the police agency.

In his words, “It was convenient for the hoodlums to attack the police as the nearest representative of government. When people are angry, they lash out at anything close by; their wives, their children, their drivers, their workers, their dogs anything. It is a psychological compensational mechanism after which they feel better.”
Joining forces with the AIG, he pleaded with the security personnel thus: “Go back to work to make your communities safe. Like we say -without security nothing works.”
He acknowledged the various state governments overtures to assist families of fallen or injured colleagues.
Commending the AIG’s dedication to public service, zeal to serve his community and the Nigerian nation, Ekhomu, who is the National President, Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators 0f Nigeria (AISSON) therefore, conferred on the AIG a Fellow of AISSON.
While turning his attention to the stakeholders, he said, “It should be noted that politicians will not give the police what it deserves, but what it lobbies for. The community holds the key to effectively speaking out for the police.”