OPINION: “You, Bloody Civilian!” — A Mindset Threatening Nigeria’s Democratic Stability - By Tosin Agbelusi.

Wike & Yerima.

In recent days, Nigeria has once again been forced to confront a troubling and familiar pattern: the recurring clashes between uniformed personnel and civilians. I initially chose silence — not because I lacked perspective, but because I refused to contribute to the emotional noise already circulating. Yet silence, at some point, becomes complicity. The latest incident has reopened deep wounds and revived painful memories long buried in our national consciousness.

Across the country, citizens continue to recount stories of harassment, humiliation, and brutality at the hands of security operatives. Disturbingly, these incidents rarely draw meaningful accountability. No disciplinary measures. No sanctions. No justice. And so we face a bitter reality: a uniform without humility is a threat to the Republic.

The infamous phrase “bloody civilian” was once a crude military slang used to demean non-military citizens. Nigerians above 50 remember it well — a staple of the military era. Then, the only protection from harassment was proximity to power or friendship with someone in uniform.

Decades into democracy, the mindset behind that phrase stubbornly survives — not only within military formations but across other security institutions, including the Nigerian Police. We still hear it at checkpoints, stations, bus stops, and anywhere the uniform becomes a licence for intimidation.

I recently looked up the word “bloody.” Beyond its literal meaning, it signifies violence, cruelty, and force. And in many encounters today, it is the civilian who ends up bloodied — in nose, in face, or in dignity. The latest clash involving a senior government official merely amplifies what ordinary Nigerians experience daily. Let us be honest: had that man not been a high-ranking functionary, he might have been stretchered out, not escorted out.

*The system is broken — and the impunity is systemic.

Even more troubling is that young Nigerians bear the heaviest burden. Daily, they endure unlawful searches on the road, intimidation, forced emptying of pockets, extortion, and sometimes physical assault — often at gunpoint. Why do we pretend as it we don’t know!

I pity the young people living in the country. It is painfully disappointing to be a young person in Nigeria today. You can be dragged, bullied, and profiled simply because of your age. It is even worse if you wear dreadlocks or dress well — looking clean has become a curse in a society where appearance alone is treated as evidence of crime.

Someone once told me that this behaviour stems from inferiority complex — seeing young people driving decent cars or holding a laptop. But why should a young person’s success provoke hostility? This raises a painful national question. What kind of country weaponises fear against its own youth — the very engine of its future and economy?

Nigeria is Africa’s largest reservoir of young people — nearly 160 million. Yet these same young people are profiled and harassed rather than protected and empowered. This climate of fear is one of the strongest drivers of young people leaving the country. 

Double Standards: When Enforcers Become Offenders.

Consider just one example: Lagos State prohibits motorcycles on certain highways. Yet who rides freely on those same restricted highways? The very officers who seize motorcycles from ordinary Nigerians. A nation cannot enforce laws on the weak while exempting the powerful. Such contradictions corrode public trust and further widen the gulf between the state and its citizens.

I sincerely think it may take another 25 years of democratic rule before this phrase disappears in our society. What Nigeria Must Do Now If Nigeria seeks a safer, saner, and more democratic society, the following reforms are urgent and non-negotiable:

1. Training & Professionalisation: Security personnel need comprehensive retraining in human rights, emotional intelligence, and modern rules of engagement.

2. Independent Oversight: Impunity thrives where oversight is weak. Civilian-led review boards must be institutionalised to evaluate complaints impartially.

3. Accountability & Consequences: Offenders must face swift, transparent, and consistent penalties — regardless of rank or unit.

4. Cultural Reorientation: The phrase “bloody civilian” must die — along with the mindset behind it.

A democracy cannot be built upon contempt for the people it claims to serve.

I sometimes joke that perhaps I should have joined the armed forces during my undergraduate days — maybe esprit de corps is the only reliable shield against harassment in today’s Nigeria. But beneath the humour lies a dangerous truth. *When citizens feel they must join the system to be protected from the system, the social contract has collapsed*.

Imagine an unlicensed, reckless driver confidently challenging a police officer simply because he works for another uniformed agency. Without valid papers, he drives away untouched. What does this say about the state of our institutions?

Let’s be clear! A uniform worn without humility does not represent safety. It represents danger.

And if you think this issue is exaggerated, wait until it happens to your son — then you will understand the meaning of brutality. What Is the Way Forward?

Nigeria must dismantle the toxic culture that elevates the uniform above the citizen. We must restore the true meaning of uniformed service — integrity, responsibility, and the protection of lives.

Only then can we begin to rebuild trust.

Only then can the law regain its dignity.

Only then can Nigeria move toward a truly just and secure society.

God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Tosin Agbelusi writes from Lagos.