Police Disappear from Kano, Nigeria

Law enforcement has disappeared in the city of Kano, Nigeria, a city of 9 million in northern Nigeria.

In the biggest urban centre in northern Nigeria a new terrorist group has inflicted a steady drumbeat of violence since carrying out the deadliest attacks in its history.

The local police – despised and demoralised – virtually disappeared from the streets after suicide bombers destroyed two of their stations, a regional headquarters and the official residence of their most senior officer last Friday.

The police stayed out of the way as Boko Haram, the Islamist extremists who claimed responsibility, pressed on with their offensive. On Tuesday night, another of Kano's police stations was destroyed; on Thursday morning, a bomb concealed inside a drinks can exploded at a crowded bus station, wounding five people and causing thousands to flee in panic.

Yesterday, Abubakar Shekau, who claims to be Boko Haram's leader, said in a video message that he ordered the attacks and warned: "I will give that order again and again." Earlier, a German engineer, Edgar Raupach, was kidnapped as he supervised a construction project outside Kano, although it is unclear who was responsible.

Inside the city, knots of youths wielding sticks and bars direct traffic in the absence of the police. Meanwhile, the army enforces a draconian curfew running from 7pm until 6am, causing a nightly hush to fall over the sixth biggest city in the Muslim world. By day, the army sends a Russian-made MI-24 helicopter gunship flying low over Kano in a noisy show of force.

(Fully story here).

Just a few thoughts. Police are not soldiers (much as they may want to be), but are just civil servants. They are in it for a paycheck, a cushy retirement package, and whatever perks they can get out of it. In other words, it's just a job. This goes double, or triple, in many third-world countries (where bribery and extortion may be a significant portion of their income). Also, and most importantly, they aren't subject to court-martial (i.e., prison) for desertion and cowardice. So, it is a simple risk/benefit analysis. In this case, the police were up against a group that is more dangerous than they, and specifically targeting them, a population that had grown generally hostile, and there was probably no down-side to simply staying home, so they did.

Could this happen in the U.S.? Don't know. There is obviously more of a work ethic, professionalism, and sense of duty in U.S. law enforcement. But, ultimately, if the risk were great enough, the result would be the same.