Barely a month after the #EndSARS protest against police brutality which turned bloody with loss of lives and massive destruction of property, the police, which was the main target of the mayhem is yet to recover. Policemen virtually disappeared from the public space.
The Inspector-General of Police had to issue a directive asking his men to return to the streets but investigations across the country revealed that things have not returned to normal.
Policemen who are supposed to protect the residents are themselves afraid to walk freely on the streets in their uniform.
Their morale is low and they are yet to regain their confidence. In some places, criminals have taken advantage of the absence of the police which has resulted in an upsurge of crimes.
Oyo In Oyo State, only a handful of policemen were at work as most of the police stations were locked up. Some of the policemen resumed duty this week even as residents, government, Yoruba leaders have made passionate pleas to the policemen to resume duties.
At most junctions where they used to control traffic, men of the Oyo State Transport management were there to fill the space. At the UI-Sango-Bodija junction, Mokola, Eleyele, Ologuneru, some soldiers and members of the state road transportation management were controlling the traffic.
Traffic wardens were at the Bodija-Cemetery junction, Iyaganku, Bodija market, Oke-Ado market.
But, in the area of maintaining security, it appeared the policemen were not responding to distress calls. Hoodlums have capitalized on the absence of policemen as they robbed residents in different parts of the city. At Idi-Ishin-NIHORT area, a man was shot dead by robbers on a motorcycle who attempted to snatch the bike.
