SAFEGUARDING THE PROTECTORS: A CALL FOR NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

By Sam Agogo

I recently spoke with a senior police officer, appreciating the Nigeria Police Force for their recent show of proactiveness in the swift arrest of the twelve robbers who invaded the home of an Arise TV presenter. What he told me that day struck a deep chord in me. He said, “If the Police want to work, they will work.

That statement has refused to leave my mind. It captures the harsh reality of our nation’s security structure — a truth we often ignore: those who defend us are dying in silence, and we, as a people, have learned to move on as if their lives mean nothing.

We often see their uniforms, their salutes, their presence at checkpoints and ceremonies, but we rarely see their pain. The Nigerian Police, Army, Air Force, Navy, DSS, NIA, and Civil Defence are the backbone of our national survival. Yet, these same men and women are treated like expendable tools. They stand between us and chaos, but when they fall, we forget them.

Recently, an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Anambra reportedly collapsed and died while on duty. He was one among many — soldiers ambushed by terrorists in the Northeast, policemen gunned down by robbers, Air Force officers lost in crashes, Naval personnel killed in sea patrols, and DSS agents murdered in covert operations. Their deaths are not just statistics — they are stories of courage cut short and sacrifices unacknowledged.

If you visit the National Assembly gate in Abuja, you will often see elderly, retired police officers protesting under the scorching sun. These are men who once bore arms for Nigeria, now begging for pensions and gratuities that should have been paid long ago. I have watched videos of serving operatives crying out — lamenting that they are being slaughtered by bandits while those entrusted with their welfare enrich themselves. They spoke of how, when an officer dies, his family is thrown out of the barracks within days. Imagine the pain — a widow mourning her husband while being chased from her home. That is not the act of a grateful nation.

Let us be honest with ourselves — we cannot continue like this. How do we expect patriotism from people we have reduced to despair? How do we demand courage from men who go to war knowing that if they die, their families will be abandoned? This is why morale is collapsing across our security formations. When a system ceases to care, service becomes a burden.

Compare our reality with what happens elsewhere. In the United States, police officers and soldiers are treated as national heroes. Their welfare is guaranteed, their families protected, and their names honoured. In the United Kingdom, fallen servicemen are remembered with national pride, and their dependents are cared for by the state. Even smaller African countries like Ghana and Rwanda have made tremendous progress in the welfare of their officers. But in Nigeria, a police constable earns barely enough to survive. Soldiers at the frontline receive allowances months late. Many lack decent accommodation. Some die without ever receiving their salaries.

This is not merely a governance failure — it is a moral collapse. We cannot claim to be a grateful people while turning a blind eye to the suffering of those who keep us safe. Every day we wake up and go about our business in peace because someone else has chosen to stand in harm’s way. Yet, we treat their lives as disposable.

We must change this narrative. The government must institute a comprehensive welfare and insurance system for all security agencies. Every officer who dies in service must have their benefits automatically paid to their families without delay. Their children should have access to free education. There must be mental health support for serving officers and a transparent pension system for retirees. The immediate eviction of deceased officers’ families from barracks must be outlawed. Above all, the welfare funds meant for our security agencies must be managed with accountability and integrity.

We must also begin to restore honour to the profession. Officers who have served the country with distinction must not be cast away at the slightest offence. Take, for example, Abba Kyari, once celebrated across Nigeria and beyond for his gallantry. How grievous is his offence that he cannot be considered for mercy? His record of excellence cannot be erased by controversy. Many other officers languish in detention, forgotten by the very country they served. We must learn to balance justice with compassion.

Our call is not for pity but for justice. We are demanding that Nigeria rise to defend those who defend her. We are demanding that this nation finds its conscience again. A country that abandons its protectors is one that is digging its own grave.

We cannot continue to lose our soldiers, policemen, and agents like chickens without outrage. We cannot allow their families to weep alone. We cannot build a secure nation on the blood of neglected heroes.

It is time to rebuild the soul of our security institutions. It is time to pay them what they deserve, honour their sacrifices, and restore the dignity of the uniform. Our security operatives are not just public servants; they are the shield of our existence.

If we continue to abandon them, one day there may be no one left to protect us.

Let us rise, as a people and as a government, to care for those who have chosen to care for us — because the peace we enjoy today is written in their blood, and the stability we boast of is built upon their sacrifices.

A nation that forgets its defenders has already begun to lose its defence.

For comments, reflections and further conversation:
📩 Email: samuelagogo4one@yahoo.com
📞 Phone: +2348055847364