by Sr. Prisca Ovat MMM                                                  Nigeria                                            17.09.2025

For most Africans, the police force is one of the most forbidden and God-forsaken professions to admire. Anyone who joined the police force is regarded as uneducated and desperate and is therefore considered with great disdain and identified with bribery and corruption. They mostly experience little or no regard from the civilians.

With so many ugly experiences of their activities, the latter cannot be totally criticized for their public and private expression of disapproval. Until this day, the crime rate in some parts of this continent has advanced from bad to worse, because as some of us know, mobile policemen only express interest in how much money enters their pockets and not the content of your goods. To a point, their uniforms have been modified for ease of bribe. It is no longer a secret that drivers come to checkpoints to split higher denominations into smaller ones. So, when bus transport fare remains steadily high, we get the explanation that most of what drivers make as income goes to the police.

Recently trending on social media were different occasions when policemen reportedly brutalized a motorist with a knife, flogging some and compelling others to roll over dirty and stagnant water. On another occasion, these uniformed officers threatened to shoot travellers while at the same time forcibly withdrawing money from their bank accounts in humble submission to the power and fear of a gun. What apex of audacity! With such impunity within with force, how many parents in their right disposition would recommend this to their children as a profession without contending with rebellion from the latter? The police force is a place you go to after all other options have failed.
Undoubtedly, “the police is your friend” as their popular slogan says because in actuality, the percentage of those who stick to the rules outnumber the lawbreakers, but as it is always the case, evil triumphs where it is celebrated, where corrupt leaders rule, and good becomes powerless.

Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults as one of my previous roles as an MMM took me as far as liaising with persons in authority, just anyone who could help. The police had indeed been friends, so much so that a call away swiped them into immediate intervention. A couple of cases of child defilement and accidents brought to their table had received considerable attention as a result of their dedication to maintaining law and order. Our collaboration had been seamless which gave the reassurance that they had our backs when in need. Most of their actions I perceive, are equally intended to redeem their image and rebuild trust, and indeed, their efforts began to attract public attention.

Therefore, on the anniversary of my birth, determined to break away from the monotony of birthday celebrations, I put a call through to the Officer commanding station in my desire to share a cake with them, the response was an instant “Absolutely, thank you so much”. Upon arrival, they all assembled, chanted a birthday song, and verbally expressed their gratitude and astonishment at such a gesture never before experienced; that they could be remembered for goodness. This encounter was extraordinary. And in truth, kindness begets kindness. For them, it was an invitation to never let that spark of trust slide. When misfortune overshadows our humanity, we forget gratitude, but may goodness always triumph over evil.