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I had battled with many headlines for this column before I eventually settled for the above headline, which aptly explains the position of things, as it appropriately describes the atmosphere around Usman Alkali Baba, Nigeria’s 21st Inspector-General of Police. His appointment on April 6, 2022, came after the national turbulence that rocked the foundation of the police sequel to the #EndSARS agitation, which later carpeted IGP Adamu Muhammad for his apparent docility and lack of operation ingenuity. The lower echelon of the police (inspector down to private) were worse hit, as they dared not to wear their uniform on the streets and were hiding their official identity. The agitation claimed the lives of many police officers and several police stations were set ablaze.
IGP Baba promptly and wisely rose up to the occasion by embarking on a nationwide official trip aimed at mending fences between the police and members of the public who were no longer regarding the police as their friends, especially the educated youths. In fact, his fatherly role helped to douse the tension and fear among policemen, many of whom were afraid for their lives. IGP Baba, a thoroughbred police officer, unfortunately, found himself heading a police institution whose morale and professional integrity had been beaten down.
How time flies. Time, the elders believe, heals wounds and restores confidence. Unfortunately, a lot has happened to the Nigeria Police in vertually every department. No wonder lovers of excellent policing are quick to add their voices to retired security agents who, in retirement, have come to realise the urgent need to join those advocating the total restructuring of the police. The police image has over the years been severely stained by reckless leaders like IGP Kpotun Idris, coupled with reported cases of gross unprofessionalism.
A time was when the death of a police officer in the hand of robbers automatically spelt doom for every member of the robbery gang. A time was when Nigerians were very free with policemen and were freely providing information and tips on criminals to police commands. A time was when policemen on our highways hardly extorted money from transporters.
How can the best be expected from a policeman whose recruit remuneration is lower than that of their counterparts in Liberia, South Africa, Rwanda and Ghana?
In fact, he is a policeman whose professional esteem has capitulated. Surely, IGP Baba must have been ruminating over the sad state of the police that he is leading. A police force that many Nigerians youths in the southern part of the country decline enlisting into.
A good leader never rests on his oars but ensures that all loopholes are well covered. IGP Baba must have been very worried over the rate of internal insecurity raging across the country under his watch despite the fact that he has over 75 agile Mobile Police squadrons scattered across the country, yet ragtag bandits are daily snuffing life out of innocent Nigerians in every state, including the home state of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Yobe State, where the IGP hails from.
Many retired Mobile Police officers blame the police leadership for not expressing confidence in the capability of the Mobile Police force that was used during the war in the Republic of Congo and Liberian war.
The Mobile Police have been a well-tested force to be reckon with in curbing internal insecurity, if they are well equipped and renumerated like the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS). Security analysts blame past police leaders for permitting the activities of bandits to fester uncontrollably.
They rightly argue that, had previous police leaders under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration done the needful, the shaky internal security of the country wouldn’t have been taken over by the military whose major constitutional assignment is to fight external aggression.
Time, they say, waits for no one. That is why IGP Baba should consider the long list of his one-year achievements in office as a non-starter, if he really wants the police history to record his tenure fairly and creditably. Part of his mission statement includes his promise “to entrench a policing vision of enhancing police primacy in the protection of life and property.
He believes in the provision of motivational and credible leadership, driven by professionalism and strategic planning, all directed at stabilizing internal security and modernizing police operations within the framework of citizen consent, trust and the rule of law.”
Truly the Nigeria Police can be the game-changer before the expiration of the Buhari administration. That is if square pegs are placed appropriately.
IGP Baba started very well like his predecessor Adamu, who later derailed and was sacked; instead of requesting him to resign his appointment, he was disgracefully retired. However, IGP Baba’s appointment of his deputies is a good signal of a leader that is optimistic to finish well.
That is if he would not allow official ego take good the better part of his administrative and operational decisions. A time was when his predecessor, in the heat of the insecurity, invited past IGPs, with the aim of gleaning from their wealth of professional experience, only to completely reject their advice like the biblical King Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10:6-15) who had sought the counsel of elders of the land and that of the radical youths of his generation and, rather than imbibing the advice of the elders, Rehoboam turned around and embraced the unwise advice of the youths, the result was catastrophic. Incidentally, such was the unfortunate scenario that played out at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, during the tenure of Adamu, who invited past IGPs that graciously poured out their wealth of experience on how to curb insecurity in the country, especially how to tackle the menace of bandits.
Painfully, he jettisoned their well-articulated advice and later consulted some of his coursemates who were retired.
His official colleagues’ interest was their pockets, as they had no stake in the progress of the police he was leading. But he embraced their advice, instead of that of the past IGPs, and, of course, the result was a catastrophic end.
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Security tip
Teach your children not to collect food nor tantalizing gifts from unknown persons away from their home. This is to avoid child traffickers and kidnappers roaming around the streets.
