IGP Idris and the task of restoring peace in Benue

Heeding a presidential order, Nigeria’s police chief, Ibrahlim Idris on Wednesday went to Benue state and on Friday visited the neighboring Nasarawa state. His missions were to commence a thorough investigation into the rampant killings that have troubled varying communities in Benue with the aim of finding an enduring solution to them, and to promote peaceful coexistence between traditional farmers of the state and nomadic herdsmen.

Without doubt, it was a trying time for Benue, which began the year 2018 with a carnage that claimed the lives of about 70 of its citizens in a swoop. It is also a delicate time for Nigeria, a country with such mismanaged diversity that has an explosive propensity to degenerate into fracas at the slightest disagreement. All right-thinking Nigerians must converge to give support, morally and otherwise, to our brothers and sisters in Benue who have lost their dear ones. We must stand together to condemn in the strongest terms, the shedding of innocent bloods as a way of settling scores.

While we show our displeasure to any form bloodletting, we must as well be very wary of politicians who hold the devilish believe that this presents to them ample opportunity to score political points, for such politicians have demonstrated that they would not mind that such incidences reoccur, as far as they afford them the opportunity to be relevant. With such political temperaments, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to give peace a chance.

IGP Idris has a general mandate to coordinate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of crimes and a specific one from the president to get to the root of this particular problem, which requires more than doing the regular police work. There is the need to reach out to all the parties involved and understand their grudges. In other words, there is the need to get to the roots of the matter. This, to the mind of the IGP, holds the greater chance of resolving the problem faster and, possibly, for good. Of course, the primary target is, first, to forestall reoccurrence and second to fish out the culprit and subject them to the appropriate punishment.

In line with the above mindset, the IGP held a stakeholders meeting with the farmers community and the Governor of Benue before proceeding to Lafia in Nasarawa State, to hear from the Governor and the Fulani/ Herdsmen community. He has been strategizing and giving assurances to the people that the police would be concentrating their energy and resources towards the safe return of peace and the displaced residents to their communities.

At Wednesday’s meeting, an exasperated Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and some speakers blamed the attacks on herdsmen of Fulani extraction, saying the federal authorities know their identities and location but are reluctant on bringing them to book. They said the leaders of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, an association of cattle breeders, had earlier threatened to attack residents in Benue State but the federal government refused to act, a position Governor Almakura of Nasarawa state and the Fulani/Herdsmen denied. The Fulani/Herdsmen accused farmers of rustling their livestock, and the government of Benue of first refusing to act in safeguarding their livestock and, to worsen matters, purposely enacting a hostile anti-grazing law to annihilate them.

No matter what anyone thinks, these are the mindsets of the two groups involved in this impasse. The IGP appealed to everyone to appreciate the importance of being one another’s keeper, for peace and harmony to prevail, saying President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed strong sympathies for the families that lost their loved ones and charged the police to go after the suspects as well as ensuring that such attacks are forestalled in future, a task he said, he is taking with all the seriousness it deserves.

The IGP also paid a visit to the Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty Prof. James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, to commiserate with him and seek his support in the search for the return of peace to the state. The ten first-class chiefs of the state were also in attendance and all promised to give the IGP every support he needs to accomplish his mission of restoring peace.

While calling on Nigerians to eschew acrimony and embrace tolerance and peace to foster unity and development, the IGP made it clear that “security officers do not demonise people but carry out actions geared toward ensuring peace and harmony in various communities”, assuring that the police and other security agencies would not relent to provide security for the state.

If the resolution of a conflict situation of this nature will require meditative and conciliatory measures of the kind that the IGP is adopting, I think it is worth exploring. When the groups involved have cause to believe that they do not need to bear arms against one another anymore, the problem would be completely laid to rest. We should not forget that unless the person(s) who holds the believe that he is at the receiving end of injustice is made to see the true nature of things, he would go away holding steady to his believe, no matter how erroneous, and would act in such a manner he thinks will represent his interest. This is why sitting with both sides is germane to all the efforts deployed in search of peace.

In the meantime, there is the need for restraint on the parts of the politicians and the media (conventional or virtual) for comments capable of causing disharmony would not help matters. There are definitely far more issues beneath the surface than meet the eyes, and it would amount to a setback if unguarded comments lead to further provocations.

The IGP has said that aside the police, other security agencies are ready to assist in unraveling the immediate and remote causes of the problem and find lasting solutions to it. While all these efforts are ongoing, the cooperation of all is required so that the police can arrive at the most suitable solution in the shortest time possible.

Nevertheless, already the police is combat-ready to forestall and face any further threat in the affected states. According to the Force spokesman, Moshood Jimoh in a statement credited to the IGP, “Police Aerial Surveillance Helicopters, Ten (10) Units of Police Mobile Force; Police Special Forces have been deployed along with additional conventional Police Personnel, the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Police Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD) and Special Police Joint Intelligence and Investigation Teams to Benue and Rivers State to work with the Police Personnel on the ground. This is to bring new impetus to the efforts of the Force to nip in the bud further attacks in the mentioned states. The Force implores the people to be vigilant and security conscious. They should promptly report suspicious acts or persons to the nearest Police detachment or station for prompt action to avert untoward incidents. The Force remains steadfast in its renewed commitment to ensure law and order and protection of lives and property of all Nigerians throughout the country”.

Ibrahim wrote this from Abuja. piece