Religious radicalism

With decades of its existence, the Nigeria Police Force, being the major internal security  organ of the country, seems incapable  of  completely handling religious radicalism and other violent crimes hovering over the Nigerian firmament. If we venture to applaud the police for stemming the tide of criminalities like armed robbery and kidnapping, then we are  inadvertently raising their ego, but the same cannot be said of religious radicalism.
From all indications, the police has not only failed but has forgotten that criminality evolves and that the days are gone when Mark-4 reigned as a riffle, neither are we still dealing with stealing with pens but with electronics and high technology.
The history of vicious religious sects and groups that have taken thousands of innocent lives are the major focus of security agencies all over the world. They are so engaging that many countries are battling seriously to confront them and bring the threat to a halt as they are also pulling back the hands of progress in these countries.
Unfortunately, in Nigeria, it looks as if enough effort is not being put in place to better position our security agencies to handle any future recurrence.
Forty years ago a dangerous religious group  known as Kala-kao sprang up in Maiduguri, Borno State, and while the police was almost on top of the situation, another group, Maitatsine, emerged under the leadership of a Camerounian religious leader based in Kano called Muhammed Marwa. The group  stretched its tentacles and tested the combative will of the police. Many died but the group was subdued, and the security agencies went to sleep thinking that since the mother snake was dead, there was no need  destroying the baby snakes in the womb.
Nigerian security agencies did not pay serious attention to foreign radical religious preachers and their associates. For instance, Muhammed Marwa hailed from Cameroun. His fierce preaching never caught the attention of our intelligence community. He blossomed and recruited thousands of misguided youths and those roaming the streets. It is baffling that the intelligence and security agencies never updated their knowledge of the evolving history of religious radicalism in the country.  For a country that has been bitten severally to still allow the grouping and formation of many other dangerous groups like Sheikh IbraheemEl-Zakzaky’s Islamic Movement and Mohammed Yusuf’s Boko Haram speaks volumes of the competence of Nigeria’s security agencies shouldered with the responsibility of internal security.
It is a sad commentary that the police intelligence unit, which was once commended by the European Union under IGP Solomon Arase’s administration, is gradually collapsing due to ineffectiveness and lack of drive, all because the present police administration seems visionless and practically ill-equipped  as presently being displayed. One would pity the administration, if it were aware of its shortcomings, but when a leader does not know and does not want to admit that he does not know, then there is a problem. Admitting one’s inefficiency is a step towards imbibing correction. All over the world, there is much attention on an intelligence-driven police for, without it, criminals would alway have the edge over security agents.
In other countries of the world, security agencies keep close tabs on known radical preachers. Their bank accounts are daily monitored and their phones are tapped. Security agents are posted to monitor their preaching. Such persons are time-bombs waiting to explode, if not closely monitored.  Their position in the heart of their followers can be likened to someone on drugs. It is such absolute loyalty that these radical extremists capitalise on to advance their deadly religious  ideology. No wonder their followers are always draw from the ranks of gullible young Nigerians, male and female, illiterate and educated, who find heroism and answers in the wrong places. At the end of the indoctrination, they become victims of what they did not bargain for.
On the part of these radical religious leaders, their death, like those of Marwa of the Maitatsine sect and Yusuf, the Boko Haram leader, made them to be regarded in some circles as ‘martyrs,’ which further worsened the situation. Nigerian security agents must not fold their arms. Every nook and cranny of the country must be throughly combed, including higher institutions, where the likes of  El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Shia in Nigeria, and Yusuf sprang from. It is based on this point that one is still strongly advocating the establishment of state police that would give more backing and strength to community policing. State policing would help community policing to thrive better. With community policing, most of these radical preachers would have long been identified before they became entrenched. Also, radicalised undergraduates would have been spotted for close watch.
The Lagos State government security programme needs to be ‘exported’ to other states of the federation. When last did we hear of religious “wahala” in Lagos State? it is on record that crime rate in lagos State has dropped considerably and perpetrators of heinous crimes are daily tracked down within hours. A close assessment of the security blueprint shows that the police is few inches from every resident of the state either physically or by communication.

Right of response

“Mr Ben, I just finished reading your latest column on Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, titled “The soldier called Buratai.” An excellent portrait. An interesting read. Bravo! Please, keep up the good work.”
– Mr. Nnamdi Obasi (Security Researcher).

“Mr Ben, l just read your Security File column in The Sun newspaper; that was a beautiful piece. l hope your colleagues won’t ask you for welfare, as they would assume you have been paid a heavy sum. Truly, lam really impressed with your  write-ups. Well done, sir.”
– Brigadier-General Sanni K. Usman, Army Hq, Abuja

“Good day, Mr. Ben. Your article on “The soldier called Buratai” was a nice one. lt takes great courage and mastery to  play your role as a security journalist standing before such  men that you described as “dangerous men.” The funny proverb of the late MKO Abiola was apt. Keep doing the good work, sir.”
– Dr. Tochwuku Amanamba, Port Harcourt