Police in the Legislature

Nigerian Police officer with arms in the National Assembly

We have always known the Nigerian Police to be unprofessional and partisan in their actions and activities. Each time you wonder why there are so much police men within the precincts of the National Assembly whereas, like many other parliaments, the Chief Security Officer of such legislative house is the Sergent-At-Arms. Impunity indeed, is obviously the countless times the Nigerian Police have assaulted staff of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. You will wonder what the police where doing in the Rivers State House of Assembly or in Edo and Ekiti State Houses of Assembly. Have they now become quasi parliamentarians who are used only to impeach a Speaker WRONGLY or enforce a negative resolution? Well their unprofessional acts knew no limits when the privileges of the Speaker of the House of Representatives were been abused. There is always a precedence and a focal point. The legislature must be independent! Like the Capital Police in the US, the National Assembly must establish a proper Sergent-At-Arms that can enforce the security needs of the legislature; For what is the case now is that of the Police dictating the security direction in the National Assembly - a far cry from what obtains in developed democracies. I hate the sight of police officers within the National Assembly premises - they are overzealous, beggars (as they can even perform a brigade of guard for a paying legislator) and continuously harass members of staff. Their continuous negative antics spell doom for our delicate democracy. Legislators must act now to put the police to check, providing a sub-station for them (far from the sight of the National Assembly community) just to allow them receive law breakers within the National Assembly from the Sergent-At-Arms in readiness for prosecution. The Sergeant-At-Arms must also be made professional, hence staff in such department should be trained in areas of crowd control and even arms handling (international best practice). I am afraid if nothing is done, the police will gradually be attempting to kill our nascent democracy!!! Please save our democracy!!!!!