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The cause of the Sunday morning accident in which 20 people died on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway is still a matter of debate. Going by the accounts of most eyewitnesses, the incident leading up to the tragedy started when a team of police officers decided to mount an illegal checkpoint on a part of the road. This led to a traffic snarl and when the driver of an articulated lorry reached the scene, he could not control his vehicle, which ran into other cars causing an explosion that consumed tens of hapless Nigerians in public buses and private cars.

Adding to the misery of the victims, angry witnesses started attacking security officials seen around the area. This hampered rescue efforts for a while until a police detachment restored order and created a safe environment for other agencies to work. Naturally, attention has been focused on the officers who set up the checkpoint – and the police authorities are not amused.

Both the commissioner of the Lagos State police command, Marvel Akpoyibo and the command’s spokesperson, Frank Mba have rushed to defend their men and deny any police culpability in this tragic incident. The police command gave its own rendition of what caused the accident and placed the blame on the driver of the trailer – and the victims whose slow driving must have caused the traffic snafu. What is more wondrous, the police said since none of their officers died in the incident, they could not have been at the scene.

But then the police command has also said it is investigating the incident. We wonder why this is still necessary, since the police leadership appears to have summarily dismissed the possible link between the actions of its men and the accident.

Perhaps the most positive thing that could be said about this rush to judgement by police leadership is that it was meant to control tempers and calm fevered nerves so the work of attending to the injured and bereaved could go on. But even this is hard to swallow.

The truth is the victims of this tragedy and their relatives – not to talk of the generality of Nigerians – would be hard pressed to have much confidence in the outcome of the police investigation into the situation that led to the accident. If past experience is anything to go by it is almost impossible to expect the police to castigate any of its own for this.

Before Lagos, there was Anambra. Last May, an eerily similar accident occurred at a police checkpoint at Awka, leading to the death of close to 15 people. The

police did little other than to proffer the usual mea culpa – and a defiant statement that the checkpoint would not be moved in spite of the tragedy.

No one was queried, apparently; no one was penalised. The bugbear of civil society activists and some senior police officers is the culture of impunity that has eaten deep into the policing system. The default action seems to be to cover up genuine mistakes officers make along with some of their more egregious actions such as shooting unarmed citizens and mounting unregulated and unapproved checkpoints.

Little wonder then that despite the gallantry and sense of dedication of thousands of its officers, the Force has always found itself swimming against the tide of public opinion. Impunity and a sense of inviolability ultimately bring rot into a system – no matter how well run. The leadership of the police might have the best intentions in trying to shield its officers.

That is done across the world. But a little accountability could only strengthen the system. It would turn the officers into better professionals and restore public confidence in the men and women who often risk their lives to protect others.

The police leadership is already dealing with many challenges as they seek to reposition the force. Muddying the waters for their subordinates, as they did over the recent accident, is a distraction that leads them in the wrong direction.