The Insecurity Question

Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff

At 51, Nigeria, Africa’s giant lays prostrate to debilitating insecurity but experts list remedies
By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
On Friday, September 23, 2011, Epowei Edike, the Customs Area Comptroller (CAC) at Tincan Port, Apapa, Lagos had an important assignment to execute. As a Senior Customs officer, such assignment falls within his purview. But as he approached it that Friday, Edike had probably wished that the situation that gave rise to such assignment never occurred, hence the rings of worry noticeable on his face. The assignment: conducting journalists round the site of explosives imported into the country from China by unscrupulous elements. The lethal cargo was concealed in a 40-feet container and declared as toys.
That was the second time in one year, lethal shipments of such magnitude would be intercepted by the Customs at the same port. The first was October last year and the weapons came from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Had the importers succceded in evading Customs checks, the intercepted weapons would have been successfully delivered to individuals and groups bent on causing social dislocation and upheavals in the country, thus further exacerbating Nigeria’s security woes. That was perhaps Edike’s worry.
Essentially, in 51 years of Nigeria’s existence as an independent country, the last one decade has witnessed unprecedented insecurity which by-products are often blood- letting.
Harry Marshal, A.K. Dikibo, Adedeji Daramola, Bola Ige, Uche Ogbonna, Funsho Williams – all politicians were killed in a wave of insecurity that buffeting the country since the dawn of democracy in 1999. Till date, the police is yet to resolve the debacle surrounding the murders but the majority opinion is that they were politically motivated.
Kidnapping and armed robbery have also gained currency in the last 10 years. Analysts opine that the unfettered freedom that came with democracy is being exploited by certain individuals to unleash terror on the country. There is also the believe that high level of unemployment in the country makes the army of unemployed youths willing tools for politicians who want to violently settle political scores.
The emergence of the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram, the assassination of Ige, Marshall, Williams, Dikibo among others and some high profile kidnappings according to some pundits, are traceable to this. Former Head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar in a lecture at the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPS) Kuru, few years back said this about insecurity in Nigeria: “Since the commencement of the present political dispensation, Nigeria has witnessed increasing number of security problems and developments that constitute threats to the maintenance and survival of its democratic political system. These concerns are diverse and complex, ranging from political disagreement to criminal activities with alarming dimension and consequences.”
The former Head of state further opined that some of the major security problems currently confronting the nation include political and electioneering conflicts, socio-economic agitations, ethno-religious crisis, ethnic militias, boundary disputes, cultism, criminality and organised crimes.
Security experts and some political analysts say some security challenges and crimes which were unthinkable in Nigeria 51 years ago now bedevile the country partly because offenders merely get a slap on the wrist. For example, on October 19, 1986, the first ever bomb induced violence took place in Nigeria when the former Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Dele Giwa was killed through a parcel bomb sent to him. Twenty five years after the heinous murder of Giwa, his killers have continued to prance the streets unidentified, untouched. Niger-Delta militants and Boko Haram Islamic insurgents have since elevated bombing to an art. Till date, no Niger-Delta or Boko Haram bomber has been successfully tried and punished for the crime. Two years ago, a bus loaded with mercenaries and sophisticated arms heading to Jos allegedly to participate in the Jos mayhem were intercepted and the occupants arrested, but till this day, authorities have remained silent concerning the whereabouts of the suspects. Sources believe that those arrested may have been left off the hook without trial. The result, according to analyst, is that terrorism has taken a firm root in the country’s polity.
A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana recently bemoaned a situation where perpetrators of terror acts go unpunished. Such impunity, he said breeds more terrorism. A university don, Benjamin Agah in a recent interview also shared the views of Falana. Agah who teaches Political Science at Delta State University rued that, “the same people who ought to be found guilty, who ought to be jailed or who ought to be punished, are the same people who will come out again, untouched by the law.”
Another reason why insecurity thrives in the country, experts argue, is because some security agents who are trained to combat crimes sometimes collude with the criminals to unleash terror. For example, last year, a number of soldiers who allegedly fought on the side of one of the warring groups in the jos crisis were apprehended. A mobile policeman had also earlier been arrested for the same offence.
There have also been allegations that Boko Haram has infiltrated some of the country’s security agencies and the sect has openly boasted of having moles therein. This allegedly was the reason the sect bombed the Nigerian Police Headquarters and the UN House in Nigeria with military precision.
The most recent example of how some members of the security agencies aid and abet insecurity in the country is that of Corporal Godwin Ojegu attached to Squadron 45 of the Police Mobile Force (PMF). An armed robbery gang led by Ojegu was last month smashed by the FCT Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) while on a mission to rob around Gwarimpa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
The security agencies have however equally risen up to the occasion at one point or the other. For example, concerted efforts of the agencies succeeded in smashing the ring of kidnappers who had held the South-east geo-political zone hostage and plied their illicit business of kidnap for ransome, almost unchallenged. “General” Innocent Orji and Osisikankwu, two ring leaders of kidnapping rackets in the region have since been put out of action.
Following the 2010 independence bombing in Abuja and the UN House bombing in August, security agencies immediately swung into action and arrested some alleged perpetrators. Some members of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, suspected to be behind the October 1, 2010 Abuja bombing are currently standing trial. Also, in the wake of the UN House attack, the State Security Service (SSS) raided a suspected Boko Haram bomb making factory in Niger State and arrested some of the sect's members. Some alleged masterminds of series of bombings in Suleja area of the state are currently standing trial.
Experts have agreed that increased funding, provision of modern security apparatus and synergy among the various security agencies will go a long way in improving efficiency. Oma Ekhomu, a security expert recently advocated the establishment of a Terrorism Prevention Unit in the office of the National Security Adviser, (NSA).
Government has however promised it is not resting on its oars as regards the current insecurity in the country. Defence Minister, Bello Mohammed Haliru recently assured the nation that the ugly situation would soon be a thing of the past. His words: “We have put in place a very strong Task Force and the president has directed that the violence be stopped.” President Goodluck Jonathan himself has repeatedly echoed such assurances.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal recently suggested that Nigeria needs external help in tackling her security challenges. Last week, he appealed to the United Kingdom, through the country’s Immigration Minister, Damien Green to render such assistance to Nigeria.