Attacks on Abuja-bound train: Decentralise security architecture,

By Chukwudi Nweje

Following the attacks on a train between Kaduna and Abuja, Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams as well as a number of groups including Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide,and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), have advised the Federal Government to rejig the country’s security architecture to prevent more dangerous attacks in the future.

Iba Gani Adams said the Federal Government would continue to run from pillar to post until it allows the creation of alternative security architecture in the country, including regional police and state police.

He noted that the federating units should be officially involved in securing the country, adding that the job of securing the rail system should ordinarily be that of the state and regional police.

“The issue of security is not about low budget or increasing the budget, it is about allowing the people to police themselves because that way, they have the full mindset to police their people effectively and they will be ready to lay down their lives for the safety of their own people,” he said.

Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Alex Ogbonnia said the attack is unfortunate, a setback for the economy and has exposed the urgency for the Federal Government to restructure and decentralise the security architecture of the country.

He said: “It has become necessary that we restructure the security infrastructure. When you say security is the responsibility of everyone, it means that security is supposed to have the impact on the masses, but the gap between the masses and the security agencies is too wide. That is why we are talking about state and community policing because there should be synergy between the security agencies and the masses. Until the Federal Government musters the political will to fight banditry, the problem will continue.”

President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu, also said security can only be achieved in the country if there is the political will to fight insecurity.

“I will continue to say it, that the terrorists, bandits or whatever they are called can be wiped out by our security forces, all we need is to have the political will to fight them. The locations of these people are known to our intelligence agencies and if there is the political will they will be defeated. Nigerians should mount pressure on President Muhammadu Buphari to muster the political will to fight insecurity,” he said.

National Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, lamented that the roads and rail are both unsafe, and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue the country.

“If the attack happened on the rail, which majority of people now use to commute between Abuja and Kaduna and other cities along the railway, it shows that the security architecture has completely collapsed.

“We have a commander-in-chief and president, and he has to wake up and restore security of the country.”