How I fought a governor who kept 260 policemen in his house – Retired CP

“You are a governor, and you have 260 policemen in your house. Is it not madness?”
With the above, former Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Dr Emmanuel Ojukwu, has revealed how he fought a governor who used his position to ensure the deployment of 260 policemen to his house.
Ojukwu, a retired Commissioner of Police, lamented that many of the policemen were “reduced to opening gates and carrying bags in the house”.
He said this while delivering the keynote lecture at the annual Feast of Barracuda in Abuja organised by the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) Sahara Deck, on Thursday.
He spoke on the theme, “The Role of Civilian Collaboration in enhancing security within the FCT and its environs.”
To Ojukwu, such deployment is one of the reasons Nigerians are generally under-policed.
He said: “There are about 16,000 policemen in the FCT. This is one policeman to 245 residents in Abuja. Among this ratio, how many of such policemen are attached to VIPs? I had an issue with a governor and he thought I was being personal. I told him it wasn’t my fault, you are the person I saw and I have to attack you. You are a governor, and you have 260 policemen in your house. Is it not madness?
“What are you doing with 260 policemen in your house? Just to show power, that you are in charge. You appropriate the commonwealth to yourself. The policemen were reduced to carrying handbags, opening gates and others and the people outside are suffering. The ratio is actually low. So, the policeman cannot do it alone because it is one policeman to 245.
“Okay now, insecurity. There is fear of crime in Abuja. Not only because of ‘one chance’ but the fear that these bad boys, these elements are everywhere. The fear of crime is worse than crime itself. And once there is fear, there is sting mentality. You will become suspicious and watch your back unnecessarily and in the process, you may make a mistake.
“There is threat to our economy and there is threat to GDP and GDH (Gross Domestic Problem and Gross Domestic Happiness). Because a hungry man is an angry man. It doesn’t stop there, an angry man is a semi-mad man. So, there is need for collaboration between the police and the people, when you see something, say something”.