Point Blank
By Chukwudi George Ozalla
Presidential movement is not tantamount to the enslavement of citizens. Nigerian police officers and other security operatives must understand that protecting the President does not mean subjecting ordinary Nigerians to intimidation, harassment and unnecessary hardship.
On the morning of Tuesday, 10th November 2026, at the bridge linking the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, to the Asokoro Presidential Villa, I witnessed an unfortunate incident that says a lot about the conduct of some security operatives whenever the President is about to move, even before he is actually on the move.
Pedestrians going about their normal business, including those who had alighted from vehicles and were attempting to cross to the other side of the road, were being shouted at as though they had committed an offence. I honestly do not know whether the operatives expected these people to freeze, disappear or suddenly break into a run simply because the President was about to move. Meanwhile, motorists who had been stopped were already observing the security restrictions.
What particularly caught my attention was a policeman wielding a big club. He was right behind a young man, alongside his colleagues, shouting at the pedestrian and charging towards him, almost hitting him because, apparently, the man was not running or moving fast enough to satisfy them.
I could not just stand by and watch such an unnecessary display of aggression. I politely appealed to the officer to slow down and stop intimidating the pedestrian, who was already walking in the direction they had indicated. Rather than listen, the officer flared up, threatened to beat me up and have me locked up.
I smiled and told him firmly that he should not attempt such a thing and expect to get away with it. Even a superior officer, from whom I expected better judgment, joined the confrontation and appeared ready to charge at me. I stood my ground. Other officers soon joined them, and what should have been a simple appeal for restraint nearly turned into an ugly confrontation, particularly as other citizens had also gathered.
But why should presidential movement be accompanied by such brazen intimidation of law-abiding citizens going about their daily business? Does Mr President know that some of the people assigned to protect him are making life unnecessarily difficult for the very Nigerians whose interests he is expected to serve?
I have no problem with presidential security. Nobody should take the responsibility of protecting the President lightly. The office comes with security risks, and the agencies responsible for his safety must be allowed to do their jobs. However, securing the President does not give any officer the right to abuse, threaten or humiliate ordinary citizens without justification.
There are also instances where presidential aides and security escorts, after accompanying the President to the airport, return to town and begin chasing motorists off the road, creating unnecessary tension and inconvenience. In whose interest is this show of force?
The pedestrian being ordered to freeze or run across the road may be elderly, sick, pregnant or someone with limited mobility. He may simply not have the strength to run. Even a perfectly healthy person should not be expected to start running for no justifiable reason because the President is about to pass, particularly when the security restriction is being observed. Have these officers ever stopped to consider such possibilities?
Must everybody be treated like a suspect because the President is on the move or about to move? Security is supposed to be professional. It should not become an opportunity for officers to display their authority through shouting, threatening and wielding clubs at harmless citizens.
Imagine someone alighting from a commercial vehicle and attempting to cross the road, only to be confronted by several policemen shouting from different directions. In the confusion, an overzealous officer could strike, push or knock down that individual simply because he believes the person is not responding quickly enough.
What if that citizen falls and dies? Who takes responsibility? Will the explanation be that the officer was merely carrying out presidential security duties?
We must not wait for a tragedy before asking these questions. Sometimes, what provokes public anger is not necessarily a major political or economic issue. It could be a slap from a policeman, an unnecessary assault or an act of humiliation. An officer who believes he can treat everybody anyhow because he is wearing a uniform may be creating a situation whose consequences he cannot predict.
I am not questioning the security of Mr President. My concern is that some of the operatives are clearly crossing the line. There is a difference between enforcing security restrictions and taking pleasure in intimidating people. A policeman does not become more professional by shouting louder, wielding a bigger stick or threatening to beat up citizens.
If the President is travelling to the airport or returning from one, there should be proper coordination, appropriate timing, discipline and consideration for other road users. People should not be treated as though they have no right to use the roads or attend to their daily responsibilities.
If the authorities cannot organise presidential movements without subjecting Nigerians to this level of inconvenience, perhaps they should consider declaring a public holiday whenever the President is travelling to the airport or returning from one. That way, everybody can stay indoors until the presidential convoy has passed. It sounds ridiculous, but so is making ordinary Nigerians suspend their daily activities because the President needs to use the road. Surely, presidential security should not amount to shutting down normal life for everybody else.
I also do not want to overlook the airspace restrictions that accompany some presidential movements. It is significant that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and some senators have raised concerns about flight safety, timing and restrictions associated with presidential movements. There have been situations where aircraft are left hovering while awaiting clearance, resulting in delays and raising legitimate questions about the safety and convenience of passengers. These arrangements deserve a closer look. Security measures should be properly timed and coordinated without unnecessarily inconveniencing other airspace users.
Mr President should also consider using a helicopter for airport transfers whenever practicable. Such an arrangement could reduce the disruption caused by prolonged road closures and the movement of security convoys through busy parts of the city.
And what happens when someone critically ill is being rushed to the hospital during such a closure? Has anybody considered the implications of stopping a long line of vehicles for several minutes or even hours when a life may be hanging in the balance? A person in need of urgent medical attention should not have to lose precious time because the President is passing through a particular route.
The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies must take another look at the training and conduct of officers assigned to presidential security and other operations involving direct contact with members of the public. Respect for human rights, crowd management and restraint must be part of their training. Carrying a weapon or wearing a uniform does not remove the obligation to treat people with dignity.
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A President is elected to govern citizens, not to make them prisoners in their own country whenever he needs to move from one location to another.
Mr President may not be aware of the excesses of some of these operatives, but somebody must bring them to his attention. Those assigned to protect him must not turn around to become a source of fear, humiliation and frustration to the people.
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