229 police officers killed in 22 months

No fewer than 229 personnel of the Nigeria Police Force were killed between January 2023 and October 2024, Daily Trust investigations have revealed.

The officers were killed by bandits, hoodlums, gunmen, Boko Haram terrorists, cultists and armed robbers across the country.

In 2023 alone, 118 police officers of various ranks were killed; and 111 within 10 months in 2024.

There were also cases of police officers killed by mobs in parts of the country.

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The recent incident was that of ASP Augustine Osupayi of the Lagos Police Command, who was lynched in October by a mob in Agege when his team was trying to prevent an execution of jungle justice.

The trend

At least 12 officers were killed between January 2 and 30, 2023. Seven other police officers were killed the following month. They were killed in Imo, Nasarawa, Edo, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Niger and Delta states.

This trend continued in March and April 2023, with the killings of 11 officers and 23 respectively.

The data also showed that bandits killed six police officers in Kebbi on April 30, 2023, while ‘gunmen’ killed five cops in Imo on April 21, 2023.

Between May and July of the same year, 31 personnel of the Force were gunned down, with 17 casualties recorded in May alone.

Twenty-two police officers, according to the data, were killed in Benue State between August and December 2023.

At the beginning of this year, 15 policemen were killed at their respective duty points. Seven of the slain officers were killed in Delta State.

Thirteen police officers were killed in February by members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB); while hoodlums killed a total of 10 cops in Ebonyi, Imo, Anambra and Edo states in March.

We’re undeterred – Serving police officers

Some police officers interviewed by our correspondent on the killings of their colleagues empathised with the families of those that lost their lives, but said they were no deterred by what they described as “very unfortunate incidents”.

The officers said that they remained committed to serving the country.

One of them said: “Of course, it is very unfortunate that some of our colleagues were killed by criminals. But all of us in the Force are aware of the challenges of our job.

“There is no profession or job that does not have with its own challenges. There are occupational hazards everywhere; ours is pronounced because of its nature. The truth is, even if you are not killed, one day, you will die,” he said.

Another officer who gave his name as Abdul, said: “Anybody that dies while serving his fatherland dies as a hero. So, nothing is special. This will not stop us from doing our work.”

Another officer, Ndifrike, also said that though heartrending, the killings of their colleagues would not deter those in the service.

He, however, pleaded with the police Force to ensure that slain officers do not die in vain.

“They should take care of our family members and children when we are no more. As of now, many of us are still committed to serving Nigeria and Nigerians no matter what happens,” the officer said.

Fortify your men with modern equipment, expert tells IGP

Speaking to our correspondent, a security expert, Abdullahi Garba, called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to fortify officers with modern policing equipment that they need to protect themselves when fighting crimes.

The security expert described the killing of police officers as “demoralising”.

“I urge IGP Kayode Egbetokun to fortify his men with modern-day equipment because fighting criminals like bandits, armed robbers and others is a serious business,” he said.

Another security sector reform expert, Silas Daves, advised police officers to work as a team when going for operations.

He alleged that officers are sometimes ambushed “because some of their colleagues share information about their movements with criminals.

“Those bad eggs in the police should stop working with criminals,” Daves said.

He called on the police force to invest in intelligence gathering.

Police Force silent

Our reporter tried to no avail to get the Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi to speak on efforts by the authority to halt further killings of officers.

For two weeks, Adejobi, when contacted by Daily Trust, refused to speak on the issue.

When our correspondent approached him for comment at the Force Headquarters in Abuja last week, he promised to react officially, but he has not done so up to press time last night.

The Force spokesman neither answered several calls nor replied to a message sent to his mobile telephone line by our reporter yesterday.

But a senior police officer at the Force headquarters hinted that an investigation ordered by the Inspector-General of Police into the recent killings of officers was ongoing.

“We will unravel the circumstances that led to the killings of those officers,” the highly placed police officer said.