These are indeed interesting times in security circles. This is a period when those with constitutional mandate no longer want to be held accountable. When those in authority behave as if they are above the law and the grace of those that put them their. We are at a point when leaders shift responsibility and even blame the society for their inefficiency. But they are more interested in what the office attracts and are ready to do anything and go to any length to ensure that they stay put in office.
Military President Ibrahim Babangida’s administration was almost suffocated with enraged negative commentaries about a “Robin Hood” armed robber called Lawrence Anini.
The rogue held sway as the “alternate land president” as his activities were always headline news while the people lived in awe of his majestic notoriety. It got to a situation where the media ascribed a part of the country to him. The police were in slumber until the military President could no longer bear the embarrassment of the dent on his administration, sharing security of the country with a notorious armed robber.
At one of the Armed Forces Ruling Council meetings, Babangida openly asked the Inspector General, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta: ” lG, where is Lawrence Anini?”
That presidential question meant a lot. It’s such question that lGP ldris lbrahim needs to hear from Mr. President before he can understand the gravity of the poor performance of the police he is presiding over.
The unbearable pain the Fulani herdsmen have inflicted on innocent Nigerians especially the people of Benue and Plateau states is yet to catch the attention of the IG.
How do we account for the killings of over 5000 unarmed citizens of those states? lf the President is not ready to ask the IG such crucial question, maybe Nigerians who voted for the President to protect them should in unison ask the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibraihim Kpotun Idris: “Where are the Fulani herdsmen killers?”
A follow up to that question is: “How come Nigerians are yet to hear of the arrest and prosecution of these killer herdsmen terrorists?”
Much has been displayed in the media about kidnappers. The amount of energy dissipated on frequent arrest of “mushroom” kidnappers is so different from what happens with the Killer Herdsmen who have since assumed a frightening dimension in their dastardly acts. l vividly remember that hours after the Presidential question to former lGP Gambo, it took the police few days to assemble a crack team under a Police Commissioner, Mr. Parry Osayande to close the evil chapter of Lawrence Anini and his notorious gang. Enough of this lackadaisical attitude of the police leadership. Maybe IGP Ibrahim should be reminded of what that office constitutionally entails, it is to map out strategies to protect every Nigerian and not to attract controversies. Unfortunately, the Nigeria police have attracted and still attracts controversy as an award. Only recently two highly regarded international groups , the International Police Science Association, IPSA, and the Institute for Economics and Peace, a nonprofit organisation that brings together experts, researchers and scholars concerned with security work from all over the world, after a thorough detailed survey had some un complementary. In releasing the 2016 report the associations rated the Nigeria Police Force as the “worst” globally in terms of its ability to handle internal security challenges. One does not need any side encouragement to appreciate what the report said.
They simply stated the obvious, what many security observers have been screaming over time -that instead of moving forward, many flaws are being noticed with the leadership of this vital institution. The institution should be salvaged not the leadership. It is ‘directionlessness’ of the leadership that is the source of the institutional The rating of the Police among members of the public under this administration needs to be improved substantially. What obtains at the moment is not conducive for police personnel.
How does a police officer function well when the atmosphere is not conducive. Back to the question, as this piece is being written, herdsmen reportedly struck in a peaceful village in Adamawa leaving a 65 persons dead. So the question resonates, again: “Mr. lGP, where are the killer herdsmen?
This Anambra election
l have always been very careful to dabble into political commentary because my life has revolved around security environment except when political issues have dint of security around it, then comments are attracted. From what is playing out, l don’t see the Anambra election being completely peaceful. The players are not helping matters so also are the security personnel. l still don’t understand why the police will be announcing such huge number of personnel, and movement of armored vehicles and same with other security agencies.
These security agencies are going to announce frightening number of personnel and before the people of Anambra can say their prayers, the entire state is crowded with armed personnel occupying every inch of the state, what this means, is complete intimidation of the electorate. This is undemocratic. One would have thought that the country ought to have improved on its electoral mannerism. Another expected action of the security personnel is to lock up the entire state by disallowing movement of vehicles as if there is a curfew. We have witnessed how elections are rigged and many of such happened in Nigeria . The Police may be the issue if caution is not adhered to. From all indications, everybody from the presidency to the political stakeholders are interested in this election. By the way, what is at state, if not that the ruling party wants to reenact its joker of being able to strategically upstage an incumbent. This time around, the presidency has all at its beck and call, especially the security agencies. In other words the police has become the focal point of the election. One hopes this action is not tilted to favour the ruling power unnecessarily and thereby attract Public odium. However, if the ruling party plays the game the way Jonathan Goodluck did, them more respect will be accorded to them. On the part of the police, all eyes especially the international community are on them. Thank God the Enugu elections went smoothly with newspaper hitches and commendation have been showered on the new commissioner in Enugu state for a good job. One hopes the same can be said after the November 18 election