Holla readers and fellow prestigious hive bloggers, it is another edition of weekly featured content titled "Against the force" in hive learners community
In every nation or state the availablity and primary responsibility of the military force is to maintain law and order and prevent the state from external threat which could threaten the existence of the country, threat such as terrorist, foreign invasion and inter threat such as civil unrest.
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The military sector is saddled with a lot of responsibility apart from safety and security, they are also used to measure the strength and weakness of a state on the international and national level. In country, regardless of the system of government they operate in, the military has a limit at which they can exercise their power in order not to infringe on the rights of the citizen, though this is more effective in a democratic state.
In recent times, the act of corruption has been impaled into the practice of democracy, which has reduced the effectiveness of the practice of democracy. Based on my perspective, I consider corruption as a disease, a virus that feeds off on the greed of people, the military are no exception to the impact of corruption in the society.
In a corrupt state, The military are used as a weapon of the state against its people, instead of the middle man between the people and the government. Due to the impact of corruption on the integrity of the military force most people have lost faith in their ability to attain justice.
Presently In Nigeria, The military have become polluted to the extent that they consider the act of protecting the elite against the masses as their primary responsibility. The elite being political tycoons that understand the power the military men withhold, they use this as an advantage to silence the masses into accepting their corrupt practice and unethical conduct.
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It is quite disheartening, the rate at which military men especially police who are meant to protect the interest of the people now serve as slave masters holding the rod and brutalizing its people. in my country they are talks of police being our friend but it all talk with no significance because friends don't harm and victimise their loved ones.
Recently, during one of my discussion classes I made mention of a new existence of another type of racism that is beyond colour. the typical type of racism has always emphasized on race, colour, ethnic and tribal origin of people but this is different. this new emergence of this new type of racism has to do with social class. Among citizens of same nationality and colour segregated by political status and social class. citizens of same colour treating their fellow citizens like dirt due to difference in social and political status, using the military force as a tool of oppression to oppress their fellow citizens, i call it sociopolitical racism, a topic for another day.
As a Nigerian, I have experienced a lot of unpleasant encounters with military men, especially the police force, one specifically traumatized me a lot.
I have shared this experience briefly in one of my write up This happened about 4 years ago during the second year of my industrial training at Duncan maritime limited at Adeniyi jones, I was informed by my parent about the urgent need to come home to attend some kind of church event, immediately after I got the information, I took my bag and I head home. on getting to ketu I took a car going to igbogbo, at that time petrol price was so expensive, so we sat down four on a row, which was extremely inconvenient for the passengers despite the outbreak of the corona virus which the bus driver showed no concern. the bus moved until we got to Ebute, so one passenger dropped, the passengers sitting on that row were happy that the sit will become more convenient for them but that was not the case.
The driver insisted on carrying another passenger to sit down on that same row but the passenger protested, the argument became so heated that they exchange words, the driver said some unpleasant words to a passenger and the passenger got upset and hit the driver by the shoulder.
We quickly intervened to avoid the conflict from escalating, the driver got back inside the car and continued driving, when we got to ebute, the driver suddenly parked in front of a police station, from my calculation I believe he must have called them while driving, on getting to the police station we saw two police officers outside waiting for the bus, immediately the man got close to the gate, the police station gate was opened and the driver drove in.
It was like film trick, the driver got down and pointed to the passenger that touched him and others that argued with him which I was among, we were asked to get out of the car and one of the police men lead the way into the police station, about 8 of us.
On our way into the police station, I noticed the driver handed over some money to the police officer that was behind us, so I knew something was wrong, immediately getting to police station we were asked to sit on a cemented flat surface that looks like a chair, after we sat down, the DPO came outside and asked the driver to narrate what happened, from his narration "He said we all gathered around him and beat him", immediately the DPO heard that she was not willing to hear our side of the story and asked them take us into the cell
The moment I heard that, I could not keep quiet anymore because I realised we were being accused of what we did not do, I brought out my BEMIL ID CARD. BEMIL is a paramilitary security company located at ojodu begger and at some point I worked as a patrol officer at BEMIL. immediately I brought out the ID CARD they felt a little frightened, knowing that I'm not just anybody despite the fact that the ID card was outdated.
They left me alone and took the others into the cell by force, I was trying to explain to them that what the man said was a lie, they did not listen, they just took me outside the gate and I couldn't say much because I knew my ID card is for appearance only, I no longer work at BEMIL.
I just have to leave but I kept on thinking about what will happen to those people that were wrongfully accused of a crime they didn't commit, though I was glad I made it out because if it were not for the BEMIL ID card I would have been taken into the cell also. I was so pissed but the law is for those with influence and those with connections, this I understood very well.
It was so annoying, the way we were treated like criminals before entering the police station, just because of a bus argument and they abused their authority because the bus driver had tipped the police officers with some cash
At this perilous times, it is a tragedy that the military force is used as dogs against the poor masses.