TERRORISTS’ SIEGE OF ABUJA

Pretty Nabeehah was to graduate tomorrow from one of the nation’s foremost citadels of higher learning, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Her uncle, Sherifdeen, said she was to do so ZLWK Á\LQJ FRORXUV KDYLQJ REWDLQHG D ÀUVW FODVV KRQRXU GHJUHH LQ KHU FKRVHQ ÀHOG RI VWXG\ 7KLV KRZHYHU ZLOO never be. Nabeehah was gruesomely murdered 12 days ago by terrorists who abducted her along with her four VLVWHUV DQG IDWKHU 0DQVRRU $O .DGUL\DU from their home in Bwari, a suburb of $EXMD WKH IHGHUDO FDSLWDO WHUULWRU\ 7KH dastards had demanded a N60 million UDQVRP UHOHDVLQJ $O .DGUL\DU GD\V DIWHU WKH DEGXFWLRQ WR JR ÀQG WKH PRQH\ So impatient were the outlaws to get the blood money that they killed the bright lady just two days after her father was released to search for the ransom.

7KH QDWLRQ ZDV VKRFNHG WR WKH PDUURZ by this pathetic turn of events even though abductions for ransom had become part of national life. So moved were Nigerians that crowdfunding was set up with Isa Pantami, immediate past minister of Communications and Digital Economy, and his friends pledging WKH VXP RI 1 PLOOLRQ 7KLV LV GHVSLWH the recent law that barred victims of abduction from paying ransom. 1RW D IHZ 1LJHULDQV KDG VFXͿHG WKH legislation as a piece of trash in the face of the demonstrated incompetence of the security agencies in stemming the tide of widespread crime. Anyway, eight days after the killing of Nabeehah, her four siblings regained freedom. Between the Police and the Army, a contest ensued RQ ZKR UHFRYHUHG WKH ODGLHV 7KH IDPLO\ ZRXOG ODWHU WHOO $5,6( 79 WKDW WKH ransom was indeed paid. What a shame!

7KH DEGXFWLRQ RI WKH $O .DGUL\DU family and the murder of Nabeehah were perhaps the jolt that Nyesom Wike, PLQLVWHU RI WKH )HGHUDO &DSLWDO 7HUULWRU\ needed to realise that he had been gravely distracted from his primary assignment by his struggle for power in his Rivers State homestead. While he was busy harassing Siminalayi Fubara, his successor, in faraway Port Harcourt, Abuja was overrun by outlaws who abducted residents at will and sent fears down the spine of inhabitants of the seat of the federal government. Mercifully, he is back to his beat, running from pillar to post, telling the residents that it has taken this unfortunate incident to get his ERVV 3UHVLGHQW %ROD 7LQXEX WR DSSURYH the purchase of tracking equipment required to trace terrorists who have had a free reign abducting citizens for ransom.

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The recent spate of abductions in the federal capital territory rekindles the need for Police reform, writes only reinforced the concerns about the internal security challenges in the FRXQWU\ LQFUHDVLQJO\ H[SRVLQJ WKH VXE optimal response of the appropriate agencies to the problem. It would seem the current remedies have failed and would require new ways of doing things to bring relief. Under the 1999 Constitution, as altered, the primary responsibility for internal security lies with the Police. Overwhelmed by the extremely violent nature of prevailing crimes, including insurgency, banditry, terrorism, and abduction for ransom, the federal government, in line with the Constitution, called in the military, especially the Army, to aid the Police. 7KLV KDV EHHQ WKH UHVSRQVH WR WKH ULVLQJ violent crimes, particularly since 2007. Without a doubt, this has not abated the crimes, and there is a need to reappraise the approach.

Stretched too thin on internal security operations across the 36 states of the federation, with combat operations in the 1RUWK HDVW 1RUWK ZHVW 1RUWK FHQWUDO DQG 6RXWK HDVW WKH PLOLWDU\ ZKLFK KDV less than 200,000 personnel is incapable of holding liberated spaces. Even in a war situation, the responsibility of the military is to liberate enemy positions and yield the space for civil authorities, including the Police to hold and DGPLQLVWHU ODZ DQG RUGHU 7KH VLWXDWLRQ in the country today is that the military, rather than aid, has been forced to take over Police duties, mounting roadblocks and chasing violent criminals, not only LQ WKH EXVK EXW DOVR LQ WKH FLWLHV 7KLV LV not working and cannot work. What can work is for the Police to be made to do its work as the lead agency in the internal security network, whereby it will enforce the law and protect lives and property; the Nigeria Immigration Service will secure the borders against illegal aliens, the State Security Service will gather intelligence to nip in the bud any threat to security, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will continue to guard and protect public buildings.

Although the Police have not covered themselves in glory, the solution to the problem is not to despise the institution but to seek an understanding and appreciation of its challenges to resolve them. After all, the force has the tactical squads, including the 0RELOH $QWL NLGQDSSLQJ DQG 6SHFLDO Forces to deal with the various levels of crimes. However, its decay began with its degradation under military rule, particularly from the Muhammadu Buhari regime in 1983. Unfortunately, the need to revive it since the return of FLYLO UXOH LQ KDV EHHQ KDOI KHDUWHG $ FRQVFLRXV HͿRUW KDV WR EH PDGH WR UHIRUP it. Its training curriculum has to change to meet the level of crimes, and it has to be adequately resourced with educated personnel, funding, and equipment.

In addition, there is the need to examine more realistically, the widespread quest for the decentralisation of policing in WKH FRXQWU\ $ VLJQLÀFDQW SDUW RI WKH security problems in the country arose from the centralised structure of the Police. With its headquarters in Abuja, supervising 36 state commands and WKH )&7 DV ZHOO DV D WKRXVDQG SOXV GLYLVLRQV LW LV QRW WRR GL΀FXOW WR VHH ZK\ WKH HͿHFWLYH VXSHUYLVLRQ RI R΀FHUV and men dispersed over millions of communities has become unattainable. 7KH XQVXLWDELOLW\ RI WKLV VWUXFWXUH KDV been a subject of intense national debate. Whilst there has been apprehension over WKH SRVVLEOH PLVXVH RI VWDWH VXSHUYLVHG Police, the growing consensus has been that the disadvantages of the potential abuse of state policing do not outweigh LWV DGYDQWDJHV 7KLV ZDV ZK\ D compromise position was reached by the Governors’ Forum under the leadership of Rotimi Amaechi, then governor of Rivers State, that the states that could DͿRUG LW VKRXOG EH DOORZHG WR SURFHHG to establish their Police while those who could not, should be allowed to continue to utilise the services of the federal 3ROLFH 7KLV ZRXOG KDYH EHHQ LQ NHHSLQJ with the federal nature of the country.

With the nation’s precarious security situation, it is safe to say that it is not too late to explore this compromise by setting the machinery in motion for the alteration to the 1999 Constitution as altered to allow states to establish their Police, the same way states can now regulate electricity power supply in their domain.