Security
Apart from the current hardship being experienced in the country, insecurity of lives and property is one of the compelling reasons why thousands of professional, including medical doctors, nurses and pastors are leaving the shores of the country in droves. The daily killings and kidnapping for ransom have not stopped and the authorities should, as a matter of urgency, tackle this menace headlong to secure the nation.
By Goddy Ikeh
IN his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu listed security of lives and properties as one the key priority areas of his administration. But one year after the pledge, not has been achieved as a number of Nigerians are killed and hundreds abducted for ransom daily across the country.
According to local security data sources, about 4500 people had been killed and 7000 persons kidnapped in the last one year of the administration of President Tinubu. These figures are frightening despite the changes made to rejig the security architecture of the country and the appointment of new service chiefs.
Obviously, the reports from the states showed the enormity of the problem of insecurity in the last one year. For instance, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna had during the year under review said that the North-West Governors were in discussions with experts in the United States of America on how to strengthen education, healthcare and social development.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, Governor Sani said that the governors of the North-West zone were strengthening partnership with the United States Department of State and Defence to see areas of collaboration in tackling the challenges of banditry and terrorism ravaging the region.
The governor, who spoke on the sidelines of the ongoing meeting between 10 Northern Governors and the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, said that the North-West Governors were also in discussions with experts in the United States on how to strengthen education, healthcare and social development which were also critical towards addressing the intractable security challenges in the region.
While lamenting the negative impact of insecurity in Kaduna and other states in the North-West Zone, Governor Sani disclosed some of the deliberations and recommendations made by security experts at the meeting, including the need to the adopt kinetic and non-kinetic measures to restore peace and security.
Some of the deliberations also include the possibility of engaging with the bandits if the need arises and collaborating with the office of the National Security Adviser on defence management system.
In April this year, the Zamfara state government imposes curfew along Sokoto, Katsina borders to check the activites of bandits in the state, The Zamfara State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mannir Haidara, said in a statement that the action was part of the decisions taken at the State Security Council meeting.
According to the statement, the state government ordered immediate restriction of movement along the state’s borders with Katsina and Sokoto from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am due to the resurgence of terrorists’ attacks on innocent travelers.
He said this was to tackle the incessant kidnapping of travelers along the Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua highway.
According to the commissioner, all motorists and travelers are directed to abide by the government’s order as security agencies are directed to monitor the two borders and ensure full compliance.
The governor lamented that banditry. which is rife in the North-West region of the country has become a business venture for some persons including government officials.
In the same vein, the governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, says poverty is one of the major factors fueling banditry in the country, citing instances where young people are recruited into crime for as low as N500.
“The issue of the hypothesis behind political motive as responsible for banditry is not true,” the Governor of Katsina State said.
“Secondly, what also causes the recruitment of under the logistics services for bandits was a result of poverty because surprisingly with N5,000, N2,000, and N500, you can be able to convince some of these youths to join into this exercise which brings about money,” told Channels Television in an interview.
The governor lamented that banditry which is rife in the North-West region of Nigeria has become a business venture for some persons including government officials.
“Now it has turned out to be a business venture. A business venture for the criminals, some people who are in government; and some people who are in security outfits, and some people who are responsible for the day-to-day activities of their people,” the governor said.
“These are so many reasons why we are unable to bring banditry to an end.”
In recent years, criminal gangs known locally as bandits have repeatedly raided places mostly in rural areas in the northern region, abducting many and killing others.
But the Katsina State governor said his government would not negotiate from a “point of weakness”.
“When you understand the terrain of the forest, and the different camps that we have within those forests… like in Katsina, we have more than 100 different camps that are being led by somebody. So, they have many leaders, many camps and if you’re negotiating with camps A and B and don’t negotiate with camps C and D, it will not bring any lasting peace,” the governor said.
“Even if you negotiate with the leaders, the other followers of the leaders may not necessarily comply with the directives of their leader. So that is what makes the negotiation with the bandits a very difficult task,” he said.
“What I said is that I would never go into negotiations with any criminal at the point of weakness,” the governor added.
Meanwhile, reacting to the security situation in Zamfara state, President Tinubu assured the governor that the federal government will sustain onslaught against bandits In Zamfara state.
Receiving Governor Dauda Lawal in his Lagos residence on April 12, 2024, the President ordered the deployment of troops and sustained military onslaught against bandits in Zamfara.
A statement by the spokesperson of the Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Idris, stated that Tinubu gave the directive when the leadership of the National Assembly paid a Sallah homage to his Lagos residence.
“During a conversation with Governor Lawal, President Tinubu asked about the security situation in Zamfara State.
“Governor Lawal informed the President of the progress made and the ongoing military operations against bandits in the state.
“President Tinubu assured the governor that he is committed to ending the menace of banditry in the state, adding that he had ordered a sustained military onslaught and deployment of more troops to Zamfara State.
“He requested regular updates from Governor Lawal regarding the state’s security situation for effective collaboration in the fight against banditry.”
Zamfara is one of the Nigerian states worst hit by banditry and other criminalities in the country. Hundreds of students had been abducted there and later rescued, while several other people have also died owing to bandit attacks.
President Tinubu also said that West Africa must unite to defeat terrorism, banditry. Receiving President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal in Nigeria President Tinubu said that West African countries should unite to crush banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities plaguing the region.
Tinubu called for an alignment of purpose and structure in West Africa to effectively address the challenges confronting the region.
“We must defeat human trafficking; we must defeat terrorism, banditry, and poverty in our society. That must be our focus and commitment,” a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, quoted Tinubu as saying.
The President described Nigeria and Senegal as brotherly nations, recounting both countries’ long history of cooperation.
“We are brothers. We have a shared interest in democracy. To make democracy sustainable in the interest of our people, we definitely must work hard.
“I am glad that you are a shining example of patience, perseverance, and commitment to democratic values.
“We must partner to make our people the focus of our democratic commitment. Your belief in the sovereignty of Africa is shared by all of us. But how can we work for our people and make them the focus of our democracy if we are violating the rule of law and promoting an unconstitutional takeover of government?
“As the Chairman of ECOWAS, I am inviting you to collaborate and meet those other brothers. To persuade them to come back to the fold.
“We will continue to work together. We share good backgrounds, and we will continue to embrace and promote democratic governance. We must be able to partner and build the freedom we believe in – in economic growth, development, and other spheres of governance. It is left for us to provide assurance to our people and walk our talk.”
Tinubu advised that leaders in the region must make the people the point of convergence in governance, noting that the essence of democracy is lost when the people are not the focal point.
In his remarks, President Faye acknowledged Nigeria and Senegal’s shared values, ideals, and challenges, emphasizing that both nations have always had good relations since the 1960s.
“The good relations we have and the relations between our private sectors should be beneficial to our countries,” he said.
The Senegalese President called for the reactivation of the Nigeria-Senegal Joint Commission to strengthen bilateral relations in diplomacy, trade, and other spheres.
Speaking on ECOWAS, Faye said with Tinubu’s wisdom and experience, relations among member states can be strengthened and bolstered for the advancement of the community.
“ECOWAS is the beacon of successful regional integration in Africa and globally. It is something we owe to the founding fathers of the community, and I have no doubt that you want to continue this legacy of integration. The union is going through a rough patch, but not everything is lost.
“I know I can rely on your wisdom and experience, as the leader of this great African nation, and the more recent example of Senegal; so that together, hand in hand, we can grow together, and that we can discuss with our brothers and convince them to come back into the fold. To come back and share our common democratic values and what we stand for.
Jonathan Stresses Need For State Police To Tackle Insecurity
The former President made the remark on Tuesday while answering questions from reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Governor Umo Eno at the Government House in Uyo, the state capital.
Following the menace of insecurity across the country, former President Goodluck Jonathan said in April this year that the steady progress recorded by successive governments in Akwa Ibom State was due to the prevailing peace and security in the state over the years.
He urged the federal government to give serious thought to the institution of state police as a panacea to current security challenges in the country.
The former President said on the sidelines of his visit to Governor Umo Eno at the Government House in Uyo, in Akwa Ibom as the head of a business delegation to consult with Governor Eno on the possible of establishing an oil and gas hub for domestic use and for the power sector.
He acknowledged the consistent development recorded in the state as a result of the prevailing peace and security in the state.
Jonathan described Akwa Ibom as promising because of the environment around the coastal areas and the commitment of the government to peace and security.
He stresses the need for the federal government to give serious thought to the establishment of state police to curb the spate of kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminality in the country.
However, some security experts who spoke on the performance of President Tinubu in the last one year in the security sector rated him low.
According to them, the President’s record in the area of security with kidnapping-for-ransom still ubiquitous in the country, whilst insurgents and bandits continue to wreak havoc in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West geopolitical zones respectively. Oil thieves haven’t also spared the South-South zone as the roads in the Southern region of the country become more unsafe just like the highways in the Northern region bombarded by marauding insurgents and kidnappers aew not impressive.
Despite the seemingly overwhelming situation, they noted that the Tinubu administration, according to verifiable data, successfully neutralised more than 20 terrorist commanders, rescued 4,641 kidnapped persons, arrested 7,000 terrorists, with 9,300 terrorists killed, and 85,000 assorted weapons plus ammunition recovered.
They, however, rated the administration “below average”, adding that though “the administration is trying but not there yet” and a lot of work still needs to be done by the administration to keep the dark-hearted enemies of Nigerians at bay.
They said that state police should serve as the panacea to the menacing security challenges and that the amount being spent on tackling security has not translated to justifiable outcomes so far.
“If the money is being spent well, there should be prompt reinforcements when atrocities are committed,” they added.
However, there are reports that in the North-East, Boko Haram and ISWAP activities have significantly reduced with incidents dropping to a mere 8.0% in the last six months from April, while the Defence Headquarters has taken delivery of at least 20 newly acquired armoured personnel carriers. According to local media reports, the armoured personnel carriers will provide the troops with enhanced protection and mobility.
And in February this year, President Tinubu inducted two new T-129 ATAK helicopters and a King Air 360ER Beechcraft into the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Order of Battle, ORBAT. According to him, the acquisition and induction of the platforms symbolise his administration’s investment in national security and commitment to safeguard Nigeria against all forms of criminalities.
Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, NSA, confirmed that security has significantly improved in the North-West and North-Central areas, where bandits used to have their field day unchallenged previously and that banditry decreased by 45% in the second part of 2023, coinciding with when Tinubu began his watch on Nigeria. As a result, many displaced residents, including farmers have returned to their base and continued their farming activities. Many kidnap victims were also rescued from their captors in these regions. The NSA revealed that the FG has so far rescued over 1,000 kidnap victims without paying a ransom. He stated this while receiving 22 rescued students and the Federal University of Gusau, Zamfara State staff.
Ribadu emphasised that the present administration’s counterterrorism efforts have been yielding tremendous results by blocking access to small arms and light weapons, thereby making it difficult for non-state actors to acquire them. According to the Small Arms Survey, a Switzerland-based non-profit, in 2020, Nigeria had an estimated 6.2 million arms in the hands of civilians, excluding those of the military and law enforcement agencies. “For example, the AK-47 rifle, which used to be sold for less than N500,000 last year now goes for N5 million,” Ribadu said. The NSA said security agencies recovered and destroyed over 5,000 military-grade rifles and intercepted over 20 gun-running networks in the last months.
The contributions of the Nigerian Navy has been noted in securing marine environment against all sorts of criminalities, such as piracy, oil bunkering and kidnapping, while those of the Nigeria Police and the Civil Defence are also acknowledged.
F.A
June 1, 2024
Tags: Internal seurity Tinubu's asdministration work in Progress
