Meet the Nigerian policeman “who has never collected bribe”
Any time Nigerian police is referenced, the word ‘bribe’ always springs to mind. Many Nigerians have had their fair shares of harassment at the hands of police officers, whether on the roads or at the stations, where the language of the day is bribery.
There is, however, one Nigerian police officer who has never taken bribe, even when offered – at least BBC says so.
That officer is Julius Adewale Adedeji, who has been rewarded with an award as ‘most dedicated police officer’ for his rare ‘honesty’.
The officer, while being honoured by the broadcasting company, said that he doubted the authenticity of the award, as he had no idea he was being watched.
“A copy of the letter (from the BBC) was delivered to my office for my information, when I read through it, I was wondering could it be true?,” he said.
“I read through the letter and I saw that it said, they wanted an institution where they can name and shame those that are not doing well and encourage the people that are doing well within the Nigerian police force, I felt so great.”
Adedeji, however, admitted that he had been tempted many times to allow money exchange hands, but his dedication to always do “what is right” has kept him in check.
“I know in my little space where I work, I’ve seen people who are going the wrong way. We’ve talked to them and told them you don’t have to do this and God will find a way to bless you when you’re doing what is right,” he said.
A 2017 survey by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) identified officers of the Nigeria police force as among the most corrupt public officials in the country, mostly due to bribery.
