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Many criminal activities in the country are perpetrated with the full knowledge of some citizens living within the vicinity of such crime scenes.
The recent joint attack by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, gives credence to the popular notion that no criminal activities can take place without the knowledge of some local collaborators.
The blood- chilling suicide bomb attack which left 23 people killed and 108 injured, according to security experts, had tell- tale signs of insider collaboration. Experts believe that because of the number of the terrorists that participated in the deadly attack and the ferocity of the attack, security agencies would have had a privilege intelligence report about it but elected to be nonchalant instead of swiftly nipping it in the bud. If this is true, then such security agencies tacitly collaborated with the terrorists to unleash terror on innocent Maidugiri residents!
When the former Inspector- General of Police, MD Abubakar was the Commissioner of police in Lagos, he introduced information boxes in all the police stations in the state The boxes were also positioned at local government headquarters, schools and hospitals to enable residents with information about activities of criminals to alert the police. Such information were written and dropped in the police information boxes, then designated police personnel were detailed to routinely evacuated content of the boxes to the state police command for analysis, investigation and action.
Today, the Nigerian Police and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) are yet to upgrade the methods of surveillance and obtaining information from members of the public despite the availability of digital information apparatus. Over 80 percent of Nigerians communicate with mobile phones, unfortunately, however, a larger percentage of this number do not have the police or DSS emergency information codes on their devices. And despite the huge revenue network providers rake in, none has deemed it fit to provide compulsory toll-free emergency codes to their subscribers for security purposes. For instance if 111 code was allocated for free, it would have been easier for every Nigerian who sees something to say something to security agencies.
Speaking recently on a national television, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai urged the military to collaborate with members of the public noting that the war against terrorism can not be fought alone by the military except through collaborative efforts with the civilian population.
Notedly, when security agencies collaborate with the civilians, it means that there is an existing synergy of understanding between them.
A few years ago, a bright Police Public Relations Officer, Tunji Alapini formulated a popular jingle, “Police is your Friend “ which became a sing song among Lagosians. this jingle created a friendship ambience between the police and members of the public.
Because of this jingle, many Lagosians became very friendly to the police, hence they freely provided critical information about the activities of criminals in their localities to the police and other security agencies.
Collaborations with other security agencies is key to every success in fighting criminals. This why it is necessary and appropriate for the security agencies to find suitable methods of collaboration with the citizenry.
The present war against terrorists can only be won by a collaboration with members of the public and not by inviting foreign military personnel from America, Britain, France and maybe, Turkey in future.
Collaboration means friendliness and openness between the security agencies and the civilian population. Collaborations is all about trust between the civilians and security agencies.
When there is trust, the civilian can walk into any security formation and provide necessary information that could lead to the elimination of criminals.
In my second book “Dark Clouds : Confessions of Notorious Armed Robbers in Nigeria”, many of the robbers confessed to me that their arrest by men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) were made possible by information provided by members of the public and dropped in the police information box.
These pieces of information were then used by the police, especially SARS personnel to track down the robbers. Such method makes the fight against terrorism and terrorists easier, especially if the digital technology is utilized. It therefore, means that when citizens see crimes and criminalities in schools, markets, in their communities, villages, offices etc, they are obligated to make a report to security agencies thus relieving themselves of every blame of keeping sealed lips while crime incubate and fester in the society. When I see something I should be free to say something to the security agencies. And when I am free to say something to the security agencies, I have removed the burden of guilt from my conscience and have saved my immediate environment and fellow citizens from danger.
It is my advice that citizens, especially the youths should be encouraged to always disclose crime related information at their disposal. It is patriotic to do so. By doing so, they are rendering invaluable service to our fatherland.
Congratulations!
Security File heartily congratulates the newly promoted Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi who incidentally was formally the Officer in Charge of anti-robbery squad in Lagos State police. He is now the new Commissioner of Police for the FCT, Abuja. We hope that your posting will bring about a postive turnaround in the security situation in the FCT. Security File do not doubt that you will bring your rich, vast crime fighting experience to bear in the policing of the FCT.
Security File also congratulates DCP Anthony Okon Placid who has just been appointed as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO). We wish him and all newly promoted officers the best of luck and pray that they deploy their experiences to ensure the eradication of crimes and criminalities in our dear country.
