President Goodluck Jonathan
Since the horrendous September 11, 2001 attacks on Twin Towers, no single terrorist plot has been successfully executed on the soil of the United States. No matter how close, it is always nipped in the bud. The same with UK. The July 7, 2005 attacks on the underground trains have turned out to be the last so far; the security agencies have been uncovering and foiling similar plots, no matter how close to execution.
But the same cannot be said of Nigeria. Attacks are unleashed without let or hindrance. Bombs have been going off at will as if children were playing with bangers, and despite the enormous budget for security at all levels (security votes, always unaccounted for, amount to a significant portion of public budgets every year), there seems to be nothing close to a solution in sight.
What’s the difference between the US and Nigeria? There cannot be a better explanation than the fact that the security agencies of one are proactive and the other not-so-proactive. There are different factors that will explain this, apparently, but so also are there concrete steps to be taken to save Nigeria from the climate of insecurity.
For instance, in Borno State, Boko Haram – that religious fundamentalist group that gleefully claims to be opposed to nearly everything about Nigeria – has been striking with such consistency that it is almost becoming boring news to report their attacks, except the casualty figure is unusually high. They strike with so much ease and get their victims so cheaply.
And while kidnapping has obviously gone down compared to this time last year, it remains a threat that cannot be downplayed. Armed robbery attacks, meanwhile, are back in full swing – a sad reminder that the demons that so often torment us are very much alive and kicking energetically.
In addition to whatever President Goodluck Jonathan intends to do to boost economic productivity, he does not need to be reminded that without security of life and property, it would amount to one step forward, two backward. Reforming and re-energising of the security system should be top of his agenda as every Nigerian wants to sleep and snore with both eyes securely shut.
There are several steps and initiatives that the administration should focus on in this regard. The first is a complete reorganisation and reorientation of the police force. It is believed that many years of military rule dealt a severe blow on the police in Nigeria as they were always treated as second class in the security arrangement. The reality in a democratic setting is that the police are the ones primarily saddled with internal security.
The strengthening of the police should cover every aspect: organisational structure for better performance; welfare; reorientation of personnel on how to police in a democratic setting; facilities for crime prevention and detection, including modern forensic labs; training on modern intelligence gathering; computerisation of operations; and indeed anything that will make the police work for the people efficiently and in a proactive manner.
Community Policing should be revisited and vigorously pursued as it is capable of employing local knowledge to checkmate certain crimes and misdemeanours. The criminals in town live in a community; localised policing holds the prospects of tackling crimes at their roots.
The regularity of terrorist attacks and armed robbery suggests that it is either surveillance has failed or is not in place at all. The proliferation of small arms and light weapons is also an indication that something has gone terribly gone with the security of the country’s borders.
The security agencies should be better co-ordinated with sole purpose of proving getting security to Nigerians. Customs, police, the armed forces, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as well as the State Security Service (SSS) must be properly co-ordinated in the interest of national peace and security. Intelligence gathering, it must be emphasised over and over again, must rise beyond the pedestrian level it is currently.
A robust security system that is built on preventing crimes as well as resolving criminal puzzles will go a long way in making the country safe for everyone. This Jonathan must take as non-negotiable.
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