THE NATION

IPOB infiltrating Rivers:  

The security situation in Rivers State, which has been on the edge since last year’s #EndSARS protests further degenerated recently with unimaginable attacks on security formations by gunmen identified by security agencies as members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The gunmen, who came in their numbers from neighbouring states destroyed the Police Area Command and station in Oyigbo Local Government Area (LGA), killing four policemen and five soldiers. They burnt vehicles and set the Magistrate Court in the area ablaze.

Though, the Rivers State government and security commanders have rolled out strategies to restore peace in the troubled council, there has been foreboding that the gunmen could spring surprise attacks in other parts of the state. For instance, a few days ago, over 70 gunmen raided checkpoints along the busy Port Harcourt-Owerri Road and killed eight security operatives. The gunmen attacked four checkpoints from Elele to Omagwa in Ikwerre LGA.

Out of the eight operatives killed, three were said to be military personnel; three Customs officials and two policemen. Some were reportedly beheaded, while others were burnt beyond recognition. The bandits gained entry into Omagwa and Elele through the border towns in neighbouring Imo State. They marched through the bush paths and swooped on innocent security men on duty.

A police situation report identified the gunmen as members of IPOB. One of the attacked checkpoints located along Airport Road, Omagwa, belonged to the Joint Task Force (JTF) and was manned by nine policemen and two soldiers.

The bandits later invaded a checkpoint of the Nigeria Customs Service at Isiokpo, killing three customs officials. The hoodlums carted away the rifles of the security operatives and their patrol vans with sirens. They advanced to attack the Police Area Command at Isiokpo, but were repelled by gallant policemen on duty. A combined team of security operatives immediately launched a manhunt for the fleeing gunmen.

While the authorities were still searching for the marauders, gunmen struck again, killing five soldiers on duty. The gunmen attacked the soldiers at Abua/Odual LGA.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the security commanders were jolted by the emerging trend, compelling them to engage in marathon emergency meetings. In search of solutions, the governor after one of the meetings resolved to impose a curfew on all the state’s borders. Initially, the curfew started at 8 p.m. at the borders Rivers shares with Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Imo states. Wike insisted that the action was necessitated by the recent security breaches and deadly attacks on security personnel by unidentified gunmen.

He said: “The Government of Rivers State has decided to restrict night movements into and out of the state from the land borders of the state. Consequently, a night curfew is hereby imposed and no person or vehicle is allowed into and out of Rivers State from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., from April 28, 2021, until further notice.”

Two days later, the Rivers State governor reviewed the curfew, following new intelligence, by imposing a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the entire state. He said it became imperative for the state government to take further necessary measures to secure Rivers State and safeguard lives and property. He said: “Accordingly, the State Security Council has, after exhaustive deliberations, decided and advised that a statewide curfew on human and vehicular movements be imposed, as part of additional measures to prevent the faceless criminals from unleashing their deadly actions.

“Consequently, a night curfew is hereby imposed on the entire 23 LGAs, prohibiting any human and/or vehicular movement within or any part of the state from 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m., from today, April 29, 2021, until further notice.”

Wike also urged the people to be vigilant and promptly report every suspicious movement in their neighbourhoods to the security agencies, for immediate actions.

A serving senior official of the Department of State Services (DSS), who spoke in confidence disclosed that security issues in the Southsouth zone could only be prevented through intelligence gathering, but he lamented that despite knowing the importance of intelligence in security management, the government was not interested in it.

He said just like the President, the governors were only interested in intelligence linked to them and their family members but would “pass away” any intelligence that did not affect them. The top DSS official blamed the rising insecurity on the collapse of intelligence gathering.

His words: “The only known way to guarantee security in any part of the world is intelligence gathering. The government knows this, but has paid lip service and totally neglected this critical aspect of maintaining the security of lives and property. What has been happening over the years is a politicisation of intelligence gathering. Intelligence is only good when it affects the governors and the President, as well as their family members. But when it does not serve their personal interest, the intelligence is ‘passed away’ and treated as if it never existed.

“We (DSS operatives) have the capacity to infiltrate the ranks of bandits, IPOB, major kidnap gangs and even the Boko Haram insurgents, but they (senior government officials) will not do it, because they are not interested in it.”

Owing to the recent development, the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (RSNSC), which was inaugurated in 2018, but was not allowed to take off by the military, has resumed operations. Its Director-General, Dr. Uche Chukwuma confirmed that the local security arrangement had just resumed operation.

A retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Valentine Ntomchukwu  said the entire Southsouth zone was suffering from years of police neglect.

He said the only way to guarantee security in the zone was to equip the police with modern policing tools, adding that handing over only AK-47 rifles, without other necessary gadgets would never guarantee the safety of the personnel and the security of the zone.

Ntomchukwu said: “We should build our police to give them the capacity to respond to internal problems in the zone. The police have been neglected for decades and if we do not start now, to build the police, there will continue to be a gap in internal security, because the police are the lead agency. We have had reforms after reforms and white paper after white paper, but they remain largely unimplemented. This is why we are having these results. Police capacity must be built holistically. Police need to be decentralised and funded.”

The retired DIG also stated that the area commanders, commissioners of police and zonal heads must have the capacity to help and complement one another, pointing out that as currently structured none of them had the capacity to match the dynamism of the society.

He declared that policemen were being killed because they lacked the capacity, equipment and gadgets to protect themselves, especially during unexpected attacks, regretting that even policemen in the lines of duty had no bulletproof vests to ward off arsenal directed at them in an ambush.

Ntomchukwu said the conditions of police offices and stations speak volumes of the magnitude of lacks plaguing their operations. He added that unless drastic actions were taken to reposition the force, policemen would continue to lack the capacity to discharge their functions.

Some of Governor Wike’s kinsmen, under the auspices of the Ikwerre People’s Congress (IPC), also pleaded with the Federal Government to identify, arrest and prosecute persons behind the emerging terrorism in the Southeast and Southsouth zones.

While condemning the resurgent attacks on security operatives, the IPC convener, Livingstone Wechie said it was a desecration of the entire state. He declared that it was time for the governors to activate intelligence networks to isolate and arrest persons behind the emerging trend.

He said: “IPC wishes to state that Ikwerre being a lead ethnic nationality in Nigeria and in the lower Niger owes a leadership obligation to give direction and hereby charge the Federal Government, as well as the governments of the Southsouth and the Southeast states to consciously and proactively boost and activate intelligence, as a measure to arrest these avoidable attacks and multiple killings in our region.

He said: “The duty and primary purpose of government to protect lives and property remains sacrosanct and cannot be compromised. IPC cautions that the attempt by the enemy forces to create tension, destabilise and hold an artificial atmosphere of insurgency in this region must be contained, without further delay.

“While the government should take necessary actions accordingly, knowing that it has requisite capacity, it is, however, strongly advised that the government should avoid the temptation of unwarranted force and reprisal in addressing these issues, with a view to ensuring justice, peace and development in our region, particularly bearing the innocent citizens in mind.”

IPC also stated that Ikwerre land or any part of the East, particularly the entire Niger Delta, would not be conquered or made a victim of genocide.

Insecurity in Rivers State is no doubt on the rise, but the state’s police command has assured the residents that it is committed to curb it. Its spokesman, Nnamdi Omoni, a Superintendent of Police (SP), assured that the command was doing everything possible to ensure that the lives and property of Rivers people were saved. He said: “We are not going to discuss our security strategies in the media, but we are on top of the situation in Rivers State.”

Omoni also called on members of the public to support and cooperate with the police by divulging useful information to security agencies, while staying security conscious and observing all personal security tips, being championed by the police.

 Hoodlums on rampage:

The hitherto peaceful Edo State suddenly became notorious for criminal activities, with the October 19, 2020 jailbreaks at the Maximum Correctional Centre, popularly referred to as While House, on Sapele Road and the Oko Medium Correctional Centre on Airport Road, both in Benin City, during the #EndSARS protests that were hijacked by hoodlums, thereby leading to the escape of 1,993 inmates, mostly condemned criminals, who immediately returned to crime.

Prior to attacking the correctional centres and setting free the inmates, the hoodlums first razed seven police stations in Edo State  and carted away huge arms and ammunition, police uniforms and other valuables, while also setting ablaze the patrol vans and other vehicles parked at the police’s facilities. For many months, the displaced policemen and the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) were operating from the police headquarters, near Government House, Benin, since they had no office or patrol van to work with, before they were later redeployed to other police formations.

The Edo jailbreaks and looting/razing of the seven police stations made kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and other criminals activities to be on the increase in the state, with the Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi-Abuja road now turned into a no-go route by kidnappers, who abduct innocent travellers on a daily basis, with huge ransoms being paid before the victims would regain their freedom, while the women would be gang-raped by the dirty kidnappers.

Most kidnappers and other criminals from neighbouring states, mostly Ondo, who felt the heat from the no-nonsense governors decided to relocate to Edo, thereby heightening insecurity and tension in the state. For instance, the police arrested 357 suspects for kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, murder, rape, burglary, attempted murder and other criminal activities two weeks ago. The suspected criminals were subsequently paraded by Edo Police Commissioner, Phillip Ogbadu, with a large cache of arms and ammunition recovered from the suspects also displayed.

Ogbadu said: “The command is faced with violent crimes of kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, murder, rape and burglary, among others. As such, the command has continued to devise security strategies to prevent criminal activities and to ensure a secure, safe and stable environment for economic growth and social interaction. It has also continued to adopt due diligence, intelligence system of administration, robust tactical operations and ensuring that cases are properly investigated and prosecuted.”

The Edo police commissioner also disclosed that the command had continued to work with vigilance and hunter groups in the host communities, which he said was geared towards building people’s confidence in Nigeria police for information sharing. He said: “I want to use this medium to once again appreciate the cooperation received from Edo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki and the good people of Edo State, since my assumption of office, in our efforts to make sure that the state is safe and secure.”

Ogbadu also called on all stakeholders to assist the police and other security agencies to make the state a peaceful and secure environment.

A Benin-based human rights activist, Kola Edokpayi said the government must find ways to provide employment opportunities for the teeming qualified youths. He also called for community policing as one of the solutions to end insecurity in the country. He said security must be everybody’s business because states and the Federal Government alone cannot handle security in the country.

He added: “To ensure adequate security in Nigeria, emphasis must be placed on the provision of employment opportunities, tackling poverty and encouraging community policing, while President Muhammadu Buhari should stop being clannish and henceforth also avoid double standard.”

The human rights activist also declared that President Buhari had failed abysmally to provide adequate security for Nigerians and their property. He urged the President to wake up to prevent another civil war that may be worse than that of 1967 to 1970, where millions of innocent persons lost their lives.

 Unemployment, job creation:

Some security experts in Delta State have blamed rising insecurity in the region on poverty, youth unemployment and social injustice. A former Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikechukwu Aduba and a retired Commander of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Desmond Agwu urged the Federal Government to tackle youth unemployment, stressing that many youths were lured into crime, largely due to unemployment.

They said terrorist groups and bandits are enticing the mostly unemployed youths with fantastic monetary offers that ensure a steady supply of willing foot-soldiers, while urging the government to improve on the parlous economy.

Aduba and Agwu said violent crimes cannot be tackled only by the force of arms, stressing that social justice must be factored into the equation, for better results. In separate interviews, they called for an overhaul of the security architecture to ensure that the drift was halted.

They said Nigeria is under policed. Aduba said: “With personnel strength of a little over 400,000, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) lacks the numerical strength to tackle rising insecurity across the country, especially in the Southsouth states.

“Government should discontinue the practice of using the military to fight internal security. Well-trained and better-equipped policemen are preferable to combat internal threats. The Federal Government must also invest in the use of modern weaponry and equipment, in order to effectively fight violent crimes. With the numerous water bodies, gunboats are a necessity. Low morale among police personnel is also an issue, following repeated attacks on them. I wish to plead with both states and federal governments to address poor remuneration and welfare, for effective policing.”

Aduba also called for the rehabilitation of several police training schools across the country, through injection of funds. He equally advocated for massive investment in the welfare of policemen. The former commissioner of police said proper funding of the Nigeria police would go a long way in checking banditry and other violent crimes.

Agwu said the issue of poverty could not be overemphasised because many youths resort to crime out of frustration borne out of joblessness. He urged Southsouth states and the Federal Government to create a thriving economy to support industries, so as to employ a large number of graduates churned out annually from the country’s tertiary institutions.

The retired commander of NSCDC admonished top officials of the Federal Government to resuscitate moribund refineries in the Southsouth zone, in order to stem the tide of youths’ unemployment. He said: “The way forward is for governments, both states and federal, to provide jobs for the teeming population. If the government is able to provide jobs for youths in the Niger Delta region, the issue of bombings and killings will stop.”

Similarly, a former Minister of Police Affairs, Alaowei Broderick Bozimo said the government should adequately equip “idle” youths to patrol the forests in the area. In an interview with The Nation, Bozimo reechoed the call for state police, adding that the current level of insecurity could not be centrally controlled.  He also rejected the suggestion that Nigeria should employ foreign mercenaries to help address its security challenges. In his view, controlling them may become a problem, “as they could lose the agenda, as is the present case”.

He recalled that the Boko Haram insurgency started after the assassination of the founder of the group, Mohammed Yusuf. He said: “State police will be able to concentrate their efforts on the marauding attackers, Boko Haram fighters and the criminal herdsmen, among others. The state police will be able to identify and isolate them, because of their knowledge of the local community, thereby dealing decisively with them. Of course, you must fund and train the policemen.

More policemen, equipment needed:

“Our problem is that we do not have enough policemen. When I was a minister, the police population was about 400, 000, more than 10 years ago. When you ask the authorities, they keep repeating the same statistics. That is ridiculous. So, you must increase the number of policemen or soldiers and give them adequate training and equipment. Our policemen and soldiers are well trained. So, it is the equipment and welfare packages that they need. Make them look like a serious force, not the rag-tag army that is a bunch of jokes for most Nigerians.

“We Nigerians must make our own inputs and contributions. We always make the police a laughing stock and ridicule them. Honestly, we do not have any other police than the Nigeria police. The police generally reflect the kind of society they find themselves in. So, we have a duty to empathise with them and assist them. The present Police Trust Fund (PTF) that is in place, I hope it is being properly funded. I can remember we pushed this concept during my tenure and we did not quite get it right then. But now, I hope it is got right. With new strategies, I believe we will get improved results.”

He said: “In the Southsouth zone, the governors have been trying to work out a similar security outfit like the Amotekun in the Southwest zone. If the Federal Government is able to allow state police, then all they need is to cooperate and see how they can coordinate the efforts of their various policies. Cooperation is the keyword. You know that in the Southsouth, kidnapping is just a new thing. Kidnapping, as you know is just an avenue people use to make money. Like the organised criminals, when they are running out of funds, they will kidnap a few people and coerce relatives to pay huge amounts of funds as ransoms.

“It is so painful, what is happening in universities and other schools, where children are kidnapped and parents and government are forced to pay ransoms. Kidnapping is relatively new to our interiors in the Southsouth, but it can be managed, once we have a coordinated security system, where the people are serious, the people are paid properly and they have sufficient vehicles to patrol the areas, especially our forests.

“In those days, we had some helicopters we used for patrol. We should now purchase more helicopters. Drones can be employed, but more importantly, we should have our people who know the forests, well equipped to go around physically. Now that kidnapping is getting quite prominent all over the country, it was not so serious in the Southsouth, except during the early militancy years. But now, it is all over the place.

“We are from the thick forest area, not like the Savannah. What happens is these kidnappers and Boko Haram criminals just take our people, young and old, into the forests. If we engage our youths, who are mostly idle-handed now, they know the terrain. Pay them well, equip them and let them go in groups and comb the entire forests and get the criminals arrested. The bushes are meant for farming, but these are the bushes where the kidnappers and other criminals hide their victims and cause trouble. So, if the forests are patrolled like Amotekun is trying to do, in the Southsouth and all over the country, I think we would have good results.”

Failure of leadership:

A prominent Niger Delta leader, Chief Julius Babogha has blamed President Buhari and some northern political leaders over the growing insecurity across Nigeria. He noted that Buhari’s administration has failed Nigerians abysmally. He, therefore, called for the immediate resignation of the President, adding that he is no longer fit to solve the insecurity challenges facing the country.

Babogha said: “Nigerians are tired and they can no longer put their hope in a leader they no longer have confidence in, because of his weakness to save lives and property of Nigerians.

“No president or leader will allow his people to pass through this agony and he is silent, without finding lasting solutions to the lingering problems, especially the insecurity across Nigeria. The security agencies and members of the National Assembly are not helping with the insecurity in the country that claims to be the giant of Africa. We cannot continue this way.

“Until President Buhari, other political leaders and the security chiefs rise up to their responsibilities, Nigeria will remain a laughing stock across the globe.”