Special Report: Inside Nigeria Police Barracks Of Disrepair
Walking to the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters in Ogun state, popularly known as Eleweran on a Sunny day to cover the parade of some alleged criminals, it was obvious that there was a Barack in the premise but the leaking roof and dilapidated condition of the Barack would not let this reporter look away.
Yusuf Adeleke, a reporter at Fortress Newspaper, made a move to report the situation of the Nigerian Police Barack, on how many of the officers’ families were living in a daunting apartment called Barracks.
There is no doubt, the Nigerian Police Force remains a force in the country that gave no room for criminalities and injustice, while also punishing offenders of laws and orders. So the question now is why the majority of the Barracks were not in good condition or could live in a dilapidated Barack be part of the training given to the Nigerian Police families?
Aside from Barack in the headquarters, this reporter also made a move to visit some divisional headquarters in the state, which includes Mobile Police Force Command as well as Ibara police Barack.
The Barrack and its Current Features
Leaking roofs, cracking walls and rusted windows are the main features to explain the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, Eleweran, and Mobile Police Force Barracks, in Abeokuta as the residents lament and are afraid of sudden collapse.
Health implications of an unhealthy environment
According to WHO research in 2016, an estimated 12.6 million deaths each year are attributable to unhealthy environments.
An estimated 12.6 million people died as a result of living or working in an unhealthy environment in 2012 – nearly 1 in 4 of total global deaths, according to new estimates from WHO. Environmental risk factors, such as air, water, and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change, and ultraviolet radiation, contribute to more than 100 diseases and injuries.
Healthier environment: healthier people
“A healthy environment underpins a healthy population,” says Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “If countries do not take actions to make environments where people live and work healthy, millions will continue to become ill and die too young.”
The report emphasizes cost-effective measures that countries can take to reverse the upward trend of environment-related diseases and deaths. These include reducing the use of solid fuels for cooking and increasing access to low-carbon energy technologies.
Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. Said “There’s an urgent need for investment in strategies to reduce environmental risks in our cities, homes, and workplaces”, she added that “Such investments can significantly reduce the rising worldwide burden of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, injuries, and cancers, and lead to immediate savings in healthcare costs.”
The report explained that environmental risks take their greatest toll on young children and older people, the report finds, with children under 5 and adults aged 50 to 75 years most impacted. Yearly, the deaths of 1.7 million children under 5 and 4.9 million adults aged 50 to 75 could be prevented through better environmental management. Lower respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases mostly impact children under 5, while older people are most impacted by NCDs.
Meanwhile, the IGP of police through his PRO Muyiwa Adejobi disclosed the decision of the force to reconstruct and renovate some Barack in Lagos, while Ogun state was not mentioned for the project.
Recently, a dilapidated Barack in Ibadan was reported by Humnaglemedia. ng to have collapsed and a series of challenges were noted in the report.
The police PRO disclosed On the 3rd of May 2023 Muyiwa Adejobi on his Facebook page that the Nigerian police had planned to start the reconstruction of the barrack in Lagos.
Why one Facebook user Robinson Enofe commented that the reconstruction should be done amongst the 36 States. He added that almost all the barracks are really in their end time.
To balance this report, this reporter tried to get a reaction from him on the reconstruction plan. But he couldn’t be reached, while also sent him a message on his Facebook page, but as of the time of filing this report, he is yet to respond.
Barack Resident Laments over disrepair Barack in Ogun.
Gloria lives in Mobile Police Force command in Abeokuta the Ogun state capital, she disclosed that she has been living in the barracks for nearly a decade now, and she noted that although, the Provost is doing their best t ensure a healthy lifestyle in the barracks but the dilapidated condition of the is scary to her.
She added that the buildings they are living in are old with cracks on the walls, but reasonable maintenance by the Provost is what gave them hope to be living in the Barack.
“Some part of the building is cracking because it is old, we needed the government to attend to rescue us before it becomes a story that touches them”.
“I love living in the Barack, it’s just that some parts are already cracking and this could be dangerous to us that are living there”.
“It can cause a danger to us, I will just urge that the government to help us to establish a modern Barack more”.
A sergeant who pleaded anonymity disclosed that the Barrack had been in the same condition for a decade noting it has become part of a prayer point that they don’t experience the sudden collapse of the barrack.
“It has become part of our prayer point that we don’t experience a sudden collapse of the building, you can see yourself the situation of the barrack. Although some parts of it are still in good shape, the upstairs needed urgent attention”.
“Just recently I heard that they want to reconstruct some Barack to modern standards, I pray the government sees this as a matter of urgency”.
Expert Reaction.
According to an expert Asiwaju Ibrahim Jinadu, the CEO of Abiodun Consulting and Raal estate firm noted that a building can collapse at any time depending on the material used, he added that it can also happen reaches its obsolete level which is about 30-40 years except if there is a continuous maintenance.
“A building can collapse at any time, depending on the materials used for the structure, but by practical experience when it reaches its obsolete level which is between 30 to 40 years, without proper maintenance, it can collapse”.
“If there is proper maintenance a structure can last as long as more than four decades”. He asserted.
End
Average Rating