“When beggars die, there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.’”
–William Shakespeare.
Since the country transited into this shaky and unpredictable democratic dispensation that had witnessed the shedding of more blood than during the military era, the country seems bedeviled with sorrow, tears and weeping.
The democratic dispensation has an unfortunate trend of activities that had consistently prevailed each time we are getting nearer to the end of any year. This year 2020 seems pregnant with evil package considering the second phase of the Covid-19 pandemic,insecurity and second economic recession.
It seems demons of death have been unleashed on the country between the months of October and December popularly described as the “Ember” months.
Like a recurring decimal , mayhem and other atrocious activities are recorded. Throughout the country, there is always noticeable palpable fear among the people, that is when security agencies especially the Police, Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Corps usually reel out announcement that the police is regigging it’s security architecture by reassuring the people of their security while FRSC would announce the posting of more of its personnels to the highways across the country to maintain road safety. Often time, these fire brigade approaches have not helped in curbing either blood letting criminality nor had road accidents reduced.
What these operational measures are inferring is that these security agencies have no prior plan securing lives before the advent of the ‘Ember’ months. These operational plans further exposes the emptiness of the system and it simply explains that that those in charge of our internal security are bereft of any logical security idea.
If not, why would they be waiting like people caught off guard before planning how to provide security for the people. Our internal security architecture is in shambles, what looks available is what security experts describe as “ Cut and paste” security. A method of copying a security plan from another country with the aim of implementing it in ones country without thorough scrutiny. Example was the introduction of SWAT after the end SARS agitation.
First it was the vicious and gruesome killing of Mr Phillip Shekwo ,, the APC Chairman in Nasarawa State. The deceased hails from the lnspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu State of origin not withstanding. Another gruesome killing occurred in Ekiti State, where gunmen killed a policeman and abducted a Chinese along Ado-Iyin Road. The same week, another elite\, Oba Adegoke Adeusi, the Olufon of Ifon under Ose Local Government Area Ondo State, was murdered by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers. Also in the North, Boko Haram gunmen attacked and killed 43 farm workers near Maiduguri. Indeed , “the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.”.
Sequel to the reported death of the APC Chairman in Nasarawa State, the lGP promptly dispatched a large team of Policemen to unravel the cause of his death. Even President Muhammadu Buhari immediately extended presidential condolence. When death comes unexpectedly through callous or dastardly means, such evokes painful emotions. The rate of killings that pervades the length and breath of the country is fearful and mind boggling. No day passes without front page news associated with mindless killings.
These surprising news of killings send shocks waves to everyone marrow. When there are records of killings as being regularly reported in Nigeria, many things happen. The people live in fear, they get scared of their environments and trust of others wane. Also finger can be pointed at a state of insecurity that couled have warranted the killings. The federal Government of Nigeria has lamented that at least, 350 million illegal weapons are currently in the country. Even members of Senate were aghast when the minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau disclosed it at a meeting on proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria. So the question is,how did we get ur boarders so loose, that such catche of arms could find their way into the country.
Why is the government complaining of insecurity? Is the government not informed that availability of illegal firearms fuel insecurity and other forms of criminality? ls the government not aware that poverty, joblessness, are channels to fuel insecurity? Since 2015 when the government was sworn into office, internal security have been a major issue that beckons for a lasting solution. The two lnspector Generals of police appointed by President Buhari have not helped the situation, instead their lukewarm attitude to the job had further deepen the state of insecurity in the country. Messers lbrahim ldris and Muhammadu Adamu , both exhibited profound lack of professionalism in many aspects. They dance more before the cameras and leave undone what ought to be attended to, which is the constitutional mandate to handle the internal security of the country. Today, whenever there are killings in any state either by kidnappers, robbers, armed herdsmen or the new wave of criminals know as bandits, the Police would turn its face away for the military to be invited to step into the responsibility. The question is, whose responsibility is the internal security of the country , the Police or the military. Is this not the reason why the strength of the Police is almost thrice that of the military?.
Must we forget armed bandits who abducted nine students of the French Department of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, but were later released .
Again, Dr Azubuike Joel Iheanacho was kidnapped in front of his house at Anyigba in DekinaLocal government area of Kogi State. Nor can we forget the story of the kidnapped twelve police officers along Katsina-Zamfara expressway. Unfortunately the Presidents home state Katsina and neighboring State of Zamfara are amongst the North-west states most affected by the activities of bandits who have killed hundreds this year.
At least five worshippers were killed and 40 others kidnapped when armed gunmen attacked a mosque in Zamfara state .
Painfully, Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna States have witnessed frequent attacks from bandits, yet the speed of response usually made available by the police when such incidents occur in the west, are virtually at zero level.
Reviewing the security situation in the country, has brought up State Policing as the alternate solution to sterm these wave of killings in the country