Obalende, where police unwind

*Plus why they grow pot-belly

For those who have stayed in Lagos, the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Obalende is, it is a suburb in Lagos but there is another Obalende in Abuja.

It is in Nyanya, another suburb in Abuja. It is behind the Police Squadron Squad. It is a place where some Police men unwind after the day’s job but investigation has shown that some of them visit the place even while on duty.

Although the origin of the name, Obalende was not given but we gathered during our visit to the place that it is a relaxation joint. Apart from the normal drinks sold at relaxation joints, native drinks are also sold there. Drinks like ‘burukutu’, palm-wine, kunu and others.

Assorted meats both fried and roasted are also sold at Obalende. Bush meat, pork and dog meat are not left out.

Since the creation of Obalende, there is no day you won’t find a policeman there although on mufti. Recently, our correspondent came across a policeman on uniform who was drunk.

He was seen heading to the police checkpoint (the border between Abuja and Nasarawa) with gun and staggering. We gathered from an eyewitness that the man was coming from Obalende and that is what he does every time he is financially buoyant but as at this report was written, he has been transferred.

Meanwhile, have you ever wondered why some police men grow pot-bellies? The answer is not far-fetched. Some of them can be mistaken for pregnant women. In the past, one can hardly come across a “pregnant” policeman.

In fact, in the past, police are known for athletics. They are seen then with their baton (not guns) and they can chase anybody to anywhere with their legs (not vehicles nowadays).

And because they are used to running or chasing criminals with their legs, athletes like late Sunday Bada, Chioma Ajunwa, amongst others were discovered. Many police officers have brought glory to the country but today, it is the opposite, maybe now in the peacekeeping department.

Investigation carried out revealed that policemen of today drink a lot. Even the ones that don’t have money drink on credit. It will be difficult to come across policemen, maybe few, who go to the gymnasium to build up their muscle or carry out exercise to keep fit.

There is no doubt that our policemen are not physically and mentally fit. A security expert, Frank Owhofa once admitted that our policemen are lazy because they don’t engage them in physical training exercise like their foreign counterparts.

His words, “We have seen severally where Police are on patrol base, they are either sleeping or reading newspaper under the tree or busy doing one thing or the other and that is why we advocate a special training for the Nigeria Police Force. They lack these skills; this is the key area that needs to be addressed, it is critical but it stands so simple.

“Security is not all about carrying guns, yes, it serves its own purpose, but security goes beyond carrying of guns. The officer must be at alert, mentally and physically. I can’t see any division where officers have any physical training centre in Nigeria. I have not seen anyone, so that tell you the reason, they are lazy, they are not mentally sharpened and that results to their low observation,” he noted.

It is said in the local parlance that, “Truth is bitter,” whether we like it or not, our policemen and women need physical training to make them mentally fit. A word is enough for the wise.