Nigerian Police Celebrate Customer Service Week Amid Extortion, Illegal Detention, and Civilian Brutality
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has stirred nationwide controversy after referring to Nigerians as its “customers” in a post marking Customer Service Week, PulseNets learnt.
The Force, in a statement posted on its official social media handles, wrote:
“Yes, you — our esteemed customer, we celebrate you.”
The post, which also featured a photo of Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, with the caption “The Nigeria Police Force celebrates Customer Service Week as we renew our commitment to placing you at the heart of our service,” immediately drew widespread criticism online.
Many Nigerians accused the police of being “insensitive” and “out of touch” with the reality of citizens who frequently face harassment, illegal detention, and extortion at police checkpoints.
A commercial driver in Lagos, Chinonso Okeke, told PulseNets that the message was “an insult to victims of daily extortion.”
“I was stopped by policemen at Iyana Ipaja last month, and they made me pay ₦20,000 even when my papers were complete. If that’s their idea of customer service, then we’re finished as a country,” he lamented.
Similarly, Zainab Ali, a fashion designer in Abuja, described the post as “a cruel joke against Nigerians.”
“They call us customers because they extort us every day. One night at Wuse 2, they stopped me for no reason and asked me to ‘drop something’. I had to give them my last ₦4,000 just to go home. I’m not their customer — I’m their victim,” she told PulseNets.
An Ibadan-based journalist, Tunde Adebajo, said the message reflected the deep disconnect between the police leadership and the people they are meant to serve.
“Instead of apologising for the rampant bribery Nigerians face daily, they’re celebrating Customer Service Week,” he said. “Citizens are forced to pay to avoid illegal arrests — that’s not service, it’s institutionalised extortion.”
Another respondent, Blessing Ude, a university student, told PulseNets that she found the post “deeply disrespectful.”
“The police are supposed to serve and protect. Calling us customers means they see us as a source of income,” she said. “The last time I was stopped, an officer said, ‘Madam, settle us now — we’re working for you.’ That’s what they mean by customer. It’s shameful.”
However, a retired civil servant, Daniel Obot, offered a more forgiving perspective when he spoke to PulseNets.
“The term ‘customer’ may have been poorly phrased, but I don’t think it was meant to mock anyone. The police provide security, and citizens benefit from it. Maybe they were just trying to show appreciation,” he explained.
Likewise, Amaka Odu, a Lagos business owner, suggested the post was part of a rebranding effort.
“They probably wanted to sound more approachable,” she noted. “People should consider their intention rather than the literal meaning. It was likely a PR attempt gone wrong.”
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Despite these differing views, many Nigerians online maintained that the police’s message was tone-deaf, given the widespread incidents of abuse, illegal arrests, and brutality that continue to erode public trust in the Force.
Civil society groups and human rights advocates also criticised the post, urging the police to “recognise that citizens are not customers but the very people they swore to protect.”
