Benin City is the capital of Edo State in Nigeria. It used to be notorious when it was known as Bendel State. Then, its notoriety was more of the criminal activities of armed robbers. One of such high profile robber known as Lawrence Anini was so notorious that even the Head of State at the time felt disturbed when the media referred to Anini as a “President”. Interestingly, a police officer son of the soil, Parry Osayande, helped to end the era of Anini and his notorious gang. Benin is the home of every Oba of Benin and each one plays a very important role in administration and culture of the people. As a writer on security, I am aware that Edo has raised many top crime fighters and security administrators like Fidelis Oyakilome, Parry Osayande, Solomon Arase who meritoriously retired as 18th Inspector General of Police, not to mention commissioner Johnson Usen who was in charge of police budget, Chief of General Staff Augustus Aihkomo and many others like the new breed crime fighter in Lagos State Commissioner Edgal Imohini.
One noticeable security problem in Edo State is the get-rich-quick tendency that has pervaded the mentality of most of the young men. Many don’t believe in hard work, all they want is fast money. Virtually every youth wants to enjoy the good things of life and be counted as being successful.
They go the extra mile to be rich. Robbery, kidnapping, local and International prostitution, drug trading, trafficking in humans and internet fraud known as (yahoo- yahoo) are very attractive ventures among the youths in the state. Many of these crime are self-induced while some parents more or else openly encourage these young boys and girls to emulate those who have succeeded in these criminal activities. It is however interesting to note the brilliant steps of the present government in the state in curbing this distasteful and shameful act of the youths. Indeed, every state has its security challenges but the Edo I recently visited has shown better prospects of a born- again state. Many known criminal activities are nose diving graphically. All fingers point at the body language of the new commissioner of police Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, a Lagosian.
For instance, a young student of Ambrose Alli University told this writer at the Africa eye laser center, along Sapele road, that he was arrested by a police corporal along the Sapele high way for not processing vehicle particulars. He was dragged to the police station and along the way, he offered the police officer N1,000 which he declined but insisted on citing the vehicle particulars. According to the student, “although it wasted my time, I rushed home to pick the vehicle particulars and surprisingly, the police officer handed over the car key to me after scrutinizing the vehicle papers. He did not ask for a kobo.” Such encouraging stories abound everywhere one turns to in the state. Despite the successes, there are still many unrepentant police men whose stock in trade is extortion. These set of police men now hide to carry out their nefarious trade more in the evening. Last Friday night along the boundary area of Benin where the road was flooded sequel to a heavy down pour, two policemen under the cover of darkness, one armed while the second was with a baton, were shamelessly extorting money from taxi cabs plying that area. Apart from the fact that one can count with the fingers the number of functional street and traffic lights in Benin City,. Evaluating the security of the state and considering the media attention given to road construction by previous administration in the state, one would have expected to see a more standard street lightening plan on ground. It is a common lesson that, street light and good motor-able road help security personnel to effectively monitor the security in the city. It is a known fact that light scares away hoodlums. Security personnel cannot effectively monitor the state when there is darkness. No wonder, criminals have taken over some suburbs of the state as its noticeable in other states of the federation. Students, taxi drivers, street hawkers and government workers all were in unison as they praise the government and the Oba of Benin effort in ensuring the safety of the people. It was learnt that there is a restructuring effort aimed at reengineering the security structure in the state . It is believed that with the restructuring, the security in the state would be completely overhauled. At the end of the exercise, every criminal activities would have been drastically reduced. What this means is that all the aforementioned crimes would have been eradicated from the mind of every youth in the state. This Edo state security strategy is one giant step in the right direction. It is a step that is being taken already ahead of the 2019 election year.
Come to think of it, if the body language of the new commissioner of police is already scaring policemen not to misbehave, then the same body language should also deter robbers, kidnappers, student cult members and other criminals in the state. The vibes from the commissioner’s body language should be increased so that corrupt police men can take a flight out of the state so that Edo state can heave a sign f relief.
YOUNG ARABAMEN GOES HOME
It is not the death of Mr. Young Arabamen , a Commissioner of Police and former police spokesman that is painful, it is the fact that the Nigeria Police Force has not made any good move to replicate such a wonderful and fine public relations officer for the Nigerian Police.
Mr. Arabamen joined the Nigeria police in 1969 and retired in 2004 after a wonderful service to the country. Months after he retired as the Lagos state police Commissioner, the then Governor of Lagos state, Alhaji Asiwaju Ahmed Timubu saw what police authority did not see in the Edo born police officer by offering him a position as the Chief Executive of Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTA). Members of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) will surely miss the gentle and ever smiling officer, who believes in always bringing human face into policing.