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Since the launching of the special security outfit code-named Amotekun by the governors of the South West states, so many strange narratives have been woven around the initiative which is designed to boost the security of the region. While much of the South West region heartily welcomed the outfit and understand the need for it, the idea has become a source of consternation, especially in the North, where some prominent leaders view it with suspicion, and regard it either as a ploy to either declare a separatist Oduduwa Republic or an instrument to send northerners, especially Fulani herdsmen, out of the South West. Yet, there are those who impugn religious motives into the scheme, saying it was designed to “Christianize” the South West and are urging Yoruba Muslims to reject the outfit and all that it stands for. Yet, there are also those who feel that the outfit will defend the Southwest against the onslaught of other tribes, and work against the interest of the northern part of the country.
Mercifully, the outfit was not designed for any of these purposes, and the motive for its establishment is becoming clearer by the day, especially to those who approach the issue with a clear mind and without any bias. The past few weeks have witnessed a resurgence of violence that the police, alone, cannot surmount.
Highways in different parts of the country have become highly insecure. In Kaduna, recently, kidnappers attacked passengers travelling the road from the Raigasa train station to the Airport, and kidnapped two of them. The kidnappers have since phoned their families to demand N20 million ransom. In the South-West, the traditional medicine practitioner popularly known as Oko Oloyun was attacked and killed by gunmen who ran out of a forest around Igbo Ora. Attacks by Boko Haram insurgents have refused to abate. Apart from the eleven Christians killed on Christmas Day, a youth corps member from Plateau State was killed, so also about 15 persons in Plateau State. The spate of killings is such that the state governors can no longer seat akimbo while the whole country is held to ransom.
Even the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, on Monday , called for a restructuring of the country’s security system, which he described as ineffective. He unequivocally said that the structure required a rejig to deal with increasing insecurity, criminality and killings in the country, as the present system was not giving the desired outcome. If the Senate president can admit this much, it means that the nation’s security system is glaringly unable to meet the yearnings of the people, and the southwest governors are right on track in their effort to design a system that they believe can work in their region.
It is unfortunate that in spite of the claim that the insurgents have been defeated, technically or otherwise, they are still able to launch surprise attacks with serious damage in both human and material terms. With our security system clearly unable to solve the problem, a new system has become inevitable and the south west leaders only deserve praise and encouragement to make the initiative a great success. Those peddling the idea of an Oduduwa Republic should perish the thought as the Yoruba are unlikely to ever entertain such thought.
It, however, behooves the Federal Government to overhaul the nation’s security arrangements to make it impossible for criminals to operate at will. Both the police and the military need to be strengthened and empowered with the required equipment to guarantee their success in the war against terrorists and other criminals. Senator Lawan has called for forthrightness in the fight against criminality. This, alongside determination and a strong sense of purpose and commitment, is exactly what the battle against insurgency and criminality in the country requires.
Before the ban on Okada, tricycles
From February 1, the 2018 law banning the operation of okadas and marwas (commercial bicycles and tricycles) on certain highways and bridges in Lagos State will be enforced. It will become an offence to operate such modes of transportation in 15 local governments in the state. These two modes of transportation that have been the mainstay of the Lagos transport system, especially in the inner city roads and in the wee hours, will be rested in the more developed areas of the state such as Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Surulere, Itire-Ikate and Apapa. And, according to the government, this is the first phase of the ban.
The ban on okada operations is not a totally unexpected development. For many years now, the business in the Lagos metropolis has been taken over by all manner of unregistered and unknown persons who are sometimes unruly and uncontrollable. Only recently, a mob of okada riders burnt down a local government office. In their everyday interactions with other citizens, they are always quick to unleash violence as they use their large number and violent outlook to intimidate pedestrians. Yet, nobody knows who they are, whether they are Nigerians or from Niger, Cameroon, Togo or Benin Republic . All that is known about them is that they are unknown strangers with an unknown agenda who like to ride roughshod over their host communities
Certainly, this is dangerous for any cosmopolitan city. If we must use the crude okada and marwa transportation systems, let the operators be registered and known to the authorities. A situation in which they commit crimes and disappear into thin air is not safe. The okadas and marwas are also prone to serious accidents and should not really be operating on highways and bridges as it is just too dangerous for them to do so. Government has said that over 10,000 okada and marwa accidents were reported in the state’s general hospitals alone between 2016 and 2019. The authorities also complained about the facilitation of crime with okada, which provide a quick getaway from crime scenes.
The problem of okada is, however, not something that can be wished away with a ban. This is because it is the mode of transportation that is most widely available in places like Apapa where a gridlock can keep cars in traffic for many hours. As a matter of fact, many workers in Apapa take okada right from their homes to their offices in Apapa. Barring that, they may not get to their offices until noon. It is also the mode of transport on the inner city roads. So, what happens with the ban? I think government should work out credible alternatives before enforcing the ban. This is because of the large number of okada operators and commuters that will be seriously affected.
The government cannot afford to send all these people adrift. Let alternatives be put in place, possibly through a modern system similar to the uber rides.
