Investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, has slammed the Nigeria Police Force, saying it has failed to live up to its motto, “The Police is Your Friend.”
In a post on his verified X handle on Saturday, Soyombo stated: “The police were never your friends. The police are not your friends. The police in Nigeria will never be your friends. Know this and know peace.”
His remarks echo widespread public distrust in the institution, a sentiment backed by a 2023 Human Rights Watch report which documented persistent corruption, extortion, and unprofessional conduct among officers affecting millions of Nigerians.
The journalist’s comments followed an assault on Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which Soyombo founded.
READ MORE: Police Declare Fisayo Soyombo Wanted, Issue Threat to FIJ’s Board of Trustees Chairman
Ojukwu was attacked on August 29, 2025, at the Ikeja Police Command in Lagos, where he had gone to meet with the Complaints Response Unit.
According to FIJ, officers threatened to behead him during the incident. The report of the attack, published the same evening, added to growing concerns about police brutality in the country.
The Nigeria Police Force, established in 1930, has long faced criticism over issues of accountability.
A 2009 study by the Open Society Justice Initiative found routine use of torture and extrajudicial killings, pointing to systemic failures rather than isolated cases.
Recent clashes, including a violent confrontation on August 28, 2025, between police officers and civil defence operatives in Ebonyi State which left one person dead, have further deepened questions about professionalism and discipline within the force.
Soyombo, who has previously conducted undercover investigations exposing corruption in the police, maintained that citizens should no longer expect empathy or accountability from the institution.
He argued that without urgent reforms, the entrenched culture of brutality and rights abuses will continue to undermine public trust in law enforcement.
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