Nigeria Police in Chains of Sycophancy: From legacy to laughter, by Hassan Ahmad
There comes a time in the life of a nation when silence becomes betrayal — not just betrayal of values, but betrayal of those who gave their lives for honour, order, and the rule of law. Today, I break my silence — not as a mere observer, but as a wounded Nigerian, watching the descent of our noble institutions into humiliating irrelevance.
The recent viral video of a police officer — one Inspector Yohana Ayuba, attached to controversial praise-singer Dauda Kahutu Rarara — being “decorated” by the entertainer himself is a slap on the face of every Nigerian who still believes in discipline, professionalism, and national pride. It is not only shameful — it is tragic. An insult to the uniform. A mockery of sacrifice. A bold declaration that sycophancy is now more valued than service.
Let me ask: is this what the Nigerian Police Force has become — a personal security outfit for praise-singers and political entertainers? Dauda Rarara, an illiterate singer of no institutional or professional standing, has no business decorating a serving officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What merit? What gallantry? What public service achievement warranted this act? Is it because he sings for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and was rewarded with state resources and impunity? Is this now the currency of honour in Nigeria?
This country has had men of distinction in uniform. The likes of late DIG Israel Ajao, DIG Lawal Gambo, C P Ibrahim Bakori, CP Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, AIG Tunji Alapini, AIG Haliru Gwandu, late CP Haz Iwendi, DIG Hashimu Salisu, DIG Sadiq Abubakar, IGP, Gambo, IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, IGP Suleman Abba, and IGP Sunday Ehindero, officers who walked with honour, who knew that the badge meant law, not loyalty to singers or sycophants.
These men faced armed robbers, militants, and violent criminals — not entertainers wielding microphones for political survival.
And what about the gallant men who died on duty, who took bullets to protect the nation — Sergeant Ibrahim Yusuf, Inspector Joy Abah, ASP Usman Abdulkadir, and countless others who were buried without the luxury of praise songs or viral videos? Their families wait endlessly for gratuities, their children wander the streets in poverty, while a man like Rarara parades his police escort like royal guards — and now publicly rewards them as if he owns the Force.
We were told the Nigerian Police is reforming — that discipline, structure, and professionalism were returning. But what discipline allows a political praise-singer to decorate a uniformed officer on camera? What kind of leadership in the Louis Edet House (Police Headquarters) allows this embarrassment to go unpunished?
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, must not allow himself to be held responsible for the climate of indiscipline growing under his watch. If officers can now become bodyguards for praise-singers, if entertainers can now decorate officers like party mascots, then the Force has failed. Period.
Let us be clear: this is not just about Inspector Ayuba or Rarara. This is about the soul of the Nigerian Police. It is about the dignity of those who swore to serve under the Constitution, not under the command of musical charlatans. It is about the fact that in the same country where citizens are being kidnapped daily, bandits rule the Northwest, IPOB agitators control the Southeast, and cultists terrorise our cities, police officers are deployed to protect brigands, militant entertainers, and political noise-makers.
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Imagine telling the families of the over 500 police officers killed in the line of duty since 2010 that the new standard of honour is guarding Rarara as he sings praises for power. Imagine telling retired gallant officers who live in penury that an officer’s new route to promotion is not performance, but proximity to praise.
What happened to the Nigerian Police that once raided terror cells, dismantled armed robbery syndicates, and cracked high-profile criminal investigations? Today, it is being bastardised into a political errand agency. From what should be a force of national unity and courage, the Police is being dragged into the mud of partisan showmanship.
This rot did not start today. We have seen police officers attached to private thugs, politicians’ girlfriends, entertainers, and even notorious cultists. But this Rarara incident is perhaps the most audacious insult so far. It was done on camera, in uniform, with no shame and no consequence. It tells every Nigerian child watching that the way to succeed in this country is not to serve, but to sing.
We cannot allow this decay to continue. If the Nigerian Police is to be respected, it must clean itself. It must detach from the parasitic grip of political entertainers. Officers like Inspector Ayuba must face disciplinary action. The Nigerian Police must issue a public statement distancing the Force from such disgraceful conduct.
And President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in whose name these foolish acts are done, must speak too — for silence is consent.
The time to save the Nigeria Police is now. The time to restore honour is now. Before every gallant officer of the past is forgotten, and every uniform becomes a symbol of servitude to the rich and loud.
Let the Force rise again. Let dignity return. Let Nigeria be proud once more.
Hassan Ahmad, a Contributor, Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Wuse Zone 6, Abuja.
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