Daily Independent (Lagos)
18 November 2008
editorial
When the Lagos State government came up with the idea of setting up Rapid Response Squad (RRS) few years ago, it had one major objective to give the robbers terrorising the state the battle of their lives and free the state of terror. Former Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu, who set it up, gave the unit the needed support even though there seemed to be no proportionate result. The excuse then was that perhaps they were still lacking in some equipment and logistics to match the criminals 'fire for fire'.
So when Tinubu's successor Babatunde Fashola 'spoilt' them with logistics (vehicles, communication gadgets, etc) and sophisticated riffles, many Lagos residents heaved a sigh of relief that at last the battle can now be won or at least the incidence of armed robbery would reduce to the barest minimum. But this is not to be, as robbers still keep on striking at will.
One of the reasons that might be responsible cannot be unconnected with the fact that men of the squad have somehow derailed from their original mission. Where they are not chasing commercial buses on flimsy excuses like stopping on the unapproved bus stop, they are busy looking for somewhere else where they can make quick money.
Imagine two fully loaded operational vehicles of the squad acting as security team for a fuji musician over the weekend at Amuwo just because the guy is known to be a free giver when his ego is boosted. They came to the venue branding their guns menacingly to the annoyance of the people around who murmured and asked whether the RSS has now been turned into escort outfit. The men should know to whom much is given much is expected. They are equipped to chase robbers. Period!
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Until the idea of bribing someone to do a favor for you is eradicated in the country, these police men on meager salary will keep on mis behaving and been escorts. The person offering the bribe to the other person should be the one to be taught a lesson of requesting something free without back kick.