Follow Us on Google
Barely two years to the next cycle of elections in Nigeria, supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will agree with this writer that his rating as President in his first tenure or re- election would be determined by his performance, especially his handling of security. Since taking office in 2023, Tinubu’s presidency has mercilessly been overshadowed, dogged by debilitating insecurity across the country which is massively affecting the economy and everyday life of average Nigerians. Marauding armed Kidnnapers have virtually taken over forests and major highways across the country thus hurting the transportation sector of the economy.Inter state movenent of goods and services is now done at the mercy of terrorists and kidnappers.There is also the deadly onslaught on farm lands and farmers by matchets wielding, Ak-47 bearing Fulani herders. Their banditry and blood spinning mayhem on farmers and farmlands have adversely affected food production, especially in the Northern parts of the country, arguably Nigeria’s food basket. In that part of the country, farmers are daily either killed, kidnapped, their. crops destroyed by herds and herders or are forced to pay outrageous taxes to armed herders and bandits to be allowed to farm.
In fairness to security agencies, they have been struggling in the past 16 years to defeat insecurity in the country without success. Let us be broad minded enough too to admit that President Tinubu inherited the current security situation , though it is worsening under his presidency. Security observers are of the opinion that the President needs to take drastic measures to free the country from the grip of insecurity, afterrall, tackling insecurity was one of his cardinal campaign promises. Besides, one of the principal obligations of every government to the citizens is the security of lives and property. This is not however, saying that the President is standing akinbo while terrorists and non- state actors have a field day or, as the saying goes, fiddling while Rome burns .His modest efforts are encouraging. For example in his first meeting with service chiefs early in his tenure, he openly told them that their score card was not good enough or encouraging enough to help his government attain its desired security goal. While the Service Chiefs enumerated their constrains, President Tinubu promised to assist them overcome them.Not long after, the President started providing most needs of the security personels-from arms and ammunition to acquiring various types of aircrafts to combat insecurity. He also ensured that that welfare of soldiers was on the front burner.More than 24 months into the Tinubu administration, the result looks hazy. One needs no clairvoyant to realise that the fight against insecurity in the country is yet to produce the desired result. So what could be the hiccup? When a problem looks insurmountable, it is always advisable to do a thorough introspection and inward looking. This is when re-evaluation and re- strategization are done. According to an American Pastor of the Reformed Church, Norman Vincent “every problem has in it the seed of its own solution” and unknown author said: “Solution are not found by pointing fingers but by joining hands”.
The above thought- provoking quotes bring me to the police mix in the insecurity ravaging the country. Some years ago, I tabled in this column, a researched solution to Nigerian intractable security problem and came up with the conclusion that state police was the way to go. Since then, the columns has at every juncture stridently made case for the creation of state police. Recall that President Tinubu, as Lagos state Governor, first muted the idea of state police which now enjoys wide support among Nigerians. Note that Tinubu as governor funded the police in Lagos, provided logistics and took care of welfare of police personnel regardless of the fact that it is a federal law enforcement agency. Many governors across the country are currently doing thesame which is why a generality of Nigerians believe that most states can comfortably fund and operate a police force of their own.Insecurity has variants. There are some security problems that are peculiar to certain states. In other words, security problems are local, insecurity prevalent in one state or in one geographical zone may differ from the other. I do not therefore have any doubt as to the ability of a well trained and funded state police to go the whole hog to tackle insecurity in the respective states taking into consideration the peculiarities of such states and the nature of insecurity. It is heartwarming to note that today the issue of state police is the dominant item in most national discourse. To former Military President, Ibrahim Babaginda, the high rate of violent crimes in the country has made the establishment of state police to complement efforts of federal police inevitable.
The former military President is of the view that as the nation marches towards democratic maturity, the concept of Federal Character, as currently enshrined in the constitution, was old fashioned.The rationale for its introduction in the first place, he argued, had been defeated.
Also President Tinubu, , himself a strong advocate of state police, believes that state police is unavoidable. He describes it as part of efforts to strengthen security across the country.This is even as the North, battered by banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, and hitherto opposed to the idea of state police, is now championing it. Just a few days ago, the region’s elders urged the President to declare a state of emergency in the there.
Only recently the APC Governors Forum voiced support for state police.Recently too. Zamfara state Governor, Dauda Lawal lamented his inability to direct the military on operational assignments noting that this could have been possible if the state operates it’s own t police.
For some Nigerians( in the minority, though) still opposed to the creation of state police, let me remind them this: Virtually every state, every region now operates a quasi police force of their own. For example, you have Amotekun in the South west states, Ebube Agu, Forest Guards etc in the South east states; virtually all Northern states operate what they call Civilian JTF in addition to a plethora of other state- founded and
funded quasi police organisations like the Hisba Islamic police etc. States in the South south have theirs too. So, what are we still waiting for to formalize and regularize these quasi police forces, standardise them and empower them legally and constitutionally to operate as respective state police forces ? What is the delay all about?
Now that the clamour for state police has reached a crescendo, the National Assembly should urgently do the needful by activating relevant laws to establish it. State police is the remedy for insecurity in the country.Nigeria stands to gain alot if state police is established. For example, it will help reduce unemployment,it will also help in effectively curbing the high rate of insecurity around the country and restore peace in the Agriculture Sector by eradicating the factors that hamper food production, i.e rogue herders.With state police under the command of state governors, no governor will sit and watch non state actors ravage his state.
If and when established, the federal police will work in harmony with the state police, complementing each other. In the area of funding, I believe that most states have the financial muscle to run state police but the Federal governmen can also support the states with weak financial base fund their police forces without undermining the very essence of the idea.
In a restructured police system, the police, whether state police or federal police, will be saddled with internal security while the military will be concerned with warding off external threats. The federal police will also take care of the first layer of security at the border of every state , while the state police will now take care of the internal security of the states. In the envisaged new policing arrangement, the state Commissioners of Police will now take instructions or orders from the state governors , while the Inspector-General (IGP) of Police would be in charge of the federal police. This is what decentralizing the Nigeria police force is all about .
Other News
—————————
————
Tinted permit: Another error
While Nigerians are screaming over myriad of taxes and levies on their businesses and services, the Nigerian police under the leadership of Inspector-General of Police, kayode Ekpetokun has further compounded the financial pain on them with the car tinted glass permit.Car owners are expected to pay for five different licenses for owning and driving a car. Notedly, apart from fueling the car and servicing it, vehicle owners are expected to possess a driver’s license, vehicle insurance ,road worthiness among others.
The Police have now added to the litany of taxes or fees by introducing tinted glass permit thus widening the pains Nigerians endure just to own and drive a car. Lagos lawyer, Malachy Ugwumadu who could not stomach the new tainted glass permit had earlier approached a High court praying it to adjudicate on the matter.The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA has also frowned at the charges and tinted glass permit.
Ideally if a car’s windshield and window are tinted it is expected of the police to flag it down and conduct search instead of banning it outrightly or posing a levy.( To be continued)
Congratulations, Azuju, Hundeyin!!!
Security file felicitates the publisher of MP3 publication MacDonald Azuju, an avid reader of the column and a senior member of Crime Reporter Association of Nigeria, CRAN, on his election as the chairman of the s
South south people’s welfare forum , Abuja.
Security file also congratulates former Lagos state Police PRO, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin on his new position as the new spokesman of the Nigeria police force .
r Association, NBA has also frowned at the charges and tinted glass permit.
Ideally if a car’s windshield and window are tinted it is expected of the police to flag it down and conduct search instead of banning it outrightly or posing a levy.( To be continued)
