Insecurity, Strikes Persist As Buhari’s ‘ Short Rest’ Continues
• We’ve Critical Security Situation In Southeast, South- South, IGP Admits • We Are Not Jittery, Say Police
NIGERIANS across the country ha ve expressed dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in the nation. From ongoing strike actions by public sector labour unions to insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen activities and recent attacks on security, especially Police, personnel and infrastructure in the Southeast, there’s obvious tension in the land. This is in addition to rising cost of living, even as President Muhammadu Buhari remains abroad for ‘ short rest.’
But despite the raging attacks on its formations and personnel across the Southeast by yet to be identified gunmen in the last onemonth, the Police ha ve insisted that they are neither jittery nor overwhelmed for the development. If anything, it said the deluge of attacks has opened a new challenge in the task to ensure they fulfilled their constitutional obligations. Recall that Police personnel and infrastructure have become potent targets in the last one months for the gunmen, who have been either attacking Police stations and carting a way weapons or killing them in the process. Some personnel of the military and correctional services ( Prisons) have also been shot or killed and their arms taken a way in the course of performing their duties at security checkpoints or other duty posts.
Imo, Abia and Anambra states have witnessed the gory attacks on security facilities and officials, while marauding herdsmen ha ve made mincemeat of innocent farmers in Enugu and Ebonyi states.
Meanwhile, the Acting Inspector General of Police ( IG), Mr. Usman Alkali Baba, has acknowledged critical security situation in the Southeast and South- South.
Baba, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the opening of a meeting with Police strategic commanders in the zones, explained that the meeting was aimed at discussing security issues affecting the two regions in order to resolve them.
According to Baba, after the meeting, the commanders would go back to their zones to implement outcome of the meeting.
He stated that the challenges would require the Force to rejig its operational strategies to ensure the issues were nip in the bud immediately, adding: “It is not like we do not have problems in other geopolitical zones of the country, but we have to address them one after the other.”
He said calling a larger meeting of all commissioners of Police and other senior officers would not be right at the moment because of COVID- 19 protocols.
But the Public Relations Officer ( PPRO) of the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, told The Guardian that the current challenge has brought to bear, fresh zeal and strategies in the effort to safeguard the state.
He said: “Every society is faced with different forms of crime at any particular time. The one we have now is new. But if you noticed, we have of late made successes by arrests and the manner in which we repelled the attacks.
“That is a serious indication that we are equal to the task. It is also a morale booster for our men. We have increased surveillance and other strategies in our operations to cover areas we never envisaged. “We are not overwhelmed and we are not jittery, as being speculated in different quarters. We think the development calls for more work. It means that the elements that want to destroy the society can never get tired and likewise, we should act above board.” He stated that desire of the Police in the state was to have “an Anambra where everyone would sleep with both eyes closed, to bring about the needed development and progress.” His Imo State counterpart, Orlando Ikeokwu, insisted that reports of the command being overwhelmed by current challenges were untrue, adding: “It is the figment of the person’s imagination. It does not exist and I don’t know about it. “There is nothing like that. We are up and doing what we can to protect the society.”
On allegations that Police officers have been withdrawn from the roads to their stations, following incessant attacks by unknown gunmen, Enugu Command’s spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, said such was not the situation, insisting: “Where did that happen? Certainly, not here.”
Due to insecurity in Owerri, the Imo State capital, and other parts of the state, some police officers, who are usually in groups, wear uniform, others either wear theirs covered with plain cloth or appear in mufti.
The Police personnel are not as active on their duty posts the way they used to be, even at their usual beats in Owerri, such as Okigwe Road Roundabout, Cherubim, MCC, Fire Service and Emmanuel College Junctions. Those in mufti expressed fears that bandits could attack or confront them.
One of them, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian: “We are vulnerable now; we are targets of men of underworld. There is one saying that a bird said since men have learnt to shoot without missing, it has learnt to fly without perching on the tree.” However, another office on uniform said: “We cannot be afraid all the time. Once you are armed, you are safer than being armless.”
Meanwhile, some Nigerians, in reaction to the challenging rocking the country, argued that the inabilities of President Muhammadu Buhari and others at the helms of affairs to stem the tide are signals to more violence. A school teacher in Osogbo, Osun State, Ogah John Elohor, expressed fear over the level of insecurities in the country, saying: “Nobody is safe any longer . We have joined the unlucky lot. Even governors, who are the chief security officers of their states, are not spared. This spate of insecurity , among other things, has its toll on the economy of the country.
“It is piteous that as medical doctors, under the aegis of National Association of Resident Doctors ( NARD), are on strike, among other issues bedeviling the country, the President is on a medical tourism abroad.
“Ours is the case of a food vendor who, after preparing his ‘ delicious’ meal, opts for another vendor’s food, not minding that both of them prepared the same thing. If our health system is working, I do not see any reason our supreme political head should prefer having his medication abroad. Must our charity begin abroad? There are so many issues to ponder on in this countr y.