The Nigerian police can sometimes be your fiend and not your friend. But not on the night of Sunday 14th September 2025.
At around 8:30 pm, I had a flat tire on the Third Mainland Bridge—the worst place in the solar system to have a flat tire. 😁 I was driving alone and island-bound.
I managed to get the car to the Adekunle junction, where I hoped to find police officers.
Sure enough, they were there. It was a most comforting sight. Area boys won’t tell me to jump into the lagoon to swim home.
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The officers came to me and asked what the problem was.
“I have a flat,” I said.
I wasn’t expecting anything other than security from them. That was all I needed. Security. Until I was able to sort out the issue.
The officers then asked if I had a spare tire. I did. Surprisingly, one of the officers proceeded to loosen the spare tire. Now, that’s a first: the police at the service of the masses!
But the damned spare tire would not loosen! See, we have never had to use the spare tire. So it was stuck. The valiant officer did his best to pry the tire loose, but when your village people are after you…
There was a towing vehicle a few meters behind me. I’m sure the guy was smacking his lips like a lecher.
One of the officers had a simple idea: why don’t we try to fix the flat tire instead? You know, loosen it, get it down to Adekunle Bus Stop and fix it. There is a vulcaniser there, surely.
So, the beaver officer asked me to bring out my jack and wheel spanner. And then went to work loosening the flat tire! That’s a second!
They took me to Adekunle, where we found a vulcaniser. The guy fixed the tire. It’d picked up a sizeable sharp object. But it was easy work for the vulcaniser.
Then the police took me back onto the bridge to my car. The officer then proceeded to put in the fixed tire. By now, it was around 10:00 pm.
It was done. I was ready to go.
What was most incredulous about the intervention was that these gentlemen of the law didn’t ask me for money!
Not a brass farthing. Not a bent copper. These fellas seemed genuinely happy to help. That’s a third!
I know it might be difficult for many to believe. But I swear on Man United beating Chelsea next weekend that they didn’t.
Look, there might be bent officers around. But equally, there are honest and good ones about too. Perhaps more than we know.
This experience taught me to keep an open mind about these folks. Policing Nigeria and Nigerians is a thankless job.
It’s also an example of how God comes through for us in both the little and big ways.
The good officers were:
1. Omidiji Ezekiel – Inspector
2. Taofeek Alabi – ASP
3. Ojo Ahmed – Spy Police
I pray good things happen to them in their lives.
Nigeria Police National Command & Control Benjamin Hundeyin, MSc, ACIPM, ANIPR Lagos State Security Trust Fund.
Jide Alade