A reader recently brought to my attention the deplorable state of the Police College of Information Technology Abeokuta.
When I saw the pictures I was gobsmacked and wondered how anybody should
be subjected to live in such execrable conditions, particularly people
who are in training to be on the forefront of the security of Nigerians.
Before even saying more, see the pictures for yourself:
According to the source who contacted MDB, students resumed camp on 18th January 2014.
The state of the camp is so bad that human beings should not be
subjected to living in such conditions. The students, mostly graduates,
are more than 50 in a room. The rooms have no bunks and beds, and
students were asked to buy mattresses with their own money. There is no
provision for feeding, no water and electricity. There is a generator
which is not functioning-perhaps due to mechanical faults or no diesel.
The students live in perpetual darkness at night.
The source further explains that over 50 people share 3 toilets at the
Police College of Information Technology Abeokuta. Worse still, as
exposed as the students are to all sorts of ailments, there is no sick
bay. In fact, the pictures sent in according to the source looks better
than what actually obtains.
The school in many ways is similar to that of Ikeja police training
school made public last year. The only difference is, no one seems to be
looking their way, and hope of the school been renovated is nil at the
moment, as I’m told this is how the school has been for many years now.
We cannot expect to breed a corrupt free police force whose priority is
to ensure the safety of the populace when the first lesson they are
being taught in this kind of environment is that ‘Nobody, particularly
the government cares about them.’
We here by appealing to Nigerians in positions of authority, the
Inspector General of Police, Mr President to please help alleviate the suffering of these police trainees.
They deserve better, Thank you.