By: Oluwaseun Boye
Apart from the fact that security of lives and property are paramount to socio-economic development of a nation, they also constitute and represent many things, such as stable income, affordable housing, good clothing, and feeding and consistent food supplies among others serve as part of the predictability of secured and protected life from crime and psychological security. Experts say National security however is the safety of a state or organisation against criminal activity such as terrorism, theft, or espionage while some refer to Security as protection from hostile forces.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, security is the protection of a person, building, organisation, or country against threats such as crime or attacks by foreign countries.
According to Department of International Development (DFID) report, women, men, girls and boys often have different safety, security and justice perceptions, experiences and needs that require targeted responses. For example, insecurity and injustice contribute to gender-based discrimination and social exclusion as a result of women’s inadequate property rights, unequal access to assets, and discriminatory social norms and power structure.
In Nigeria, there are so many parameters contributing to insecurity of lives and property, ranging from kidnapping, ritual killings, herdsmen attacks, cult clashes, robbery and to mention a few. However, government is taking all proactive measures to ensure its citizens are well protected. Part of measures government put in place is the revamping of the police force as well as its sister agencies like the Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) , Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Army and the various security operatives controlled by both Federal and state governments to nip crime and criminalities in the bud.
Surveys had shown that Nigerians have very low levels of trust in the police and that some people have had to pay or been asked to pay a bribe to police, there were also reports by experts how some police forces have been commercialised to serve the interests of politicians and rich individuals rather than to protect the public.
Armed robbery, which is one of the most serious security threats facing Nigeria has over the years become more violent and widespread across the country. The State Anti-Robbery Section part of the State Criminal Investigation Departments within the 36 state commands and FCT (Federal Capital Territory) has long been ineffective due to the perennial challenges facing the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). These include undertrained personnel, lack of funding, inadequate equipment, poor supervision and lack of accountability, to mention a few.
Apart from the growing menace of kidnapping and robbery as well as incessant raids and attacks carried out by herdsmen which has become a national painful concern. The most recent is the attack carried out by the bandits on a Kaduna-bound train carrying hundreds of passengers, Nigerians who had hitherto thought they were secured on rail were thrown off balance over crack in nation security architecture. The train, which left Abuja at about 6 P.M was attacked between Katari and Rijana which left a portion of the rail track destroyed by explosives leading to death, injury and kidnap of some passengers.
The fear among Nigerians over the attack pointed out to the fact that the Nation is under siege. Report disclosed that, the bandits who had the boldness to attack some of the Military bases of Nigerian Soldiers is nothing but a declaration of war that was allowed to fester for too long unchecked . Experts, say the challenges confronting national stability was not adequately addressed as some people said ethnic nepotism is killing security efforts and destroying socio- economic development of the nation.
Reports disclosed that, the unchecked insecurity across the nation will continue to hinder not only huge local economic investment but also foreign multinational initiatives in the nation. Federal government cannot continue to sympathise with the family of the victims over and over without taking drastic measures to end all the inhuman activities of the kidnappers and bandits. And for government to succeed in the task, it must not be bias in carrying out its onerous task of eliminating the enemy of nation. All the perpetrators must be arrested, prosecuted and deal with them in accordance with dictate of law so as to serve as deterent to other ethnic distructive groups . Let government at all levels put their hands on deck and tighten their security network towards ensuring that their residents are well secured from insurgencies and other related criminality.
Kudos to Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun for leaving no stone unturned at ensuring that lives and property of its residents are guaranteed, with the concept that the state must be rid of crimes and criminalities. As part of measures put in place to checkmate invaders and fight crimes and criminality at border areas as well as on interstate highways, Governor Abiodun of Ogun State had a firm security agreement with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state where they signed and formed a Joint Border Security Task Force. This security move by the two neighbouring Southwest states also included the deployment of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) as well as use Drones among other security measures to protect the people and safeguard the borderlines between the two states and interstate highways.
In addition to this move, the Ogun State Government in sealing up its security measures also inaugurated 137 marshals to complement its Community, Social Orientation and Safety (SO-SAFE) Corps.The officers comprise 27 grand marshals, 41 special marshals and 69 corps Marshals. Parts of their roles according to a report, were to survey and gather information across the communities to assist the government on security issues. They are also assigned to help the government by collaborating with other security outfits in creating enabling environments free from crime and criminality.
The inauguration of Special Marshal had several dignitaries as well as experts in security in attendance and with assuring comment of Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy, Affairs, Hon. Afolabi Afuape affirming that security of lives and property is a priority of the state government which must be accomplished at all cost.
Besides, Ogun State Government also procured state of the art equipment ranging from patrol vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carrier(APC) sophisticated digital communication gadgets, as well as putting in place a robust insurance scheme and allowances for the operatives for proactive intelligence gathering. While the launch of the OP-MESA in early year 2022 was to promote joint Internal Security Operational platform made up of the Army, the Navy and the Air force to operate in synergy with the Police and to provide security, fight crime and criminality in the State.
The security initiative was activated through a presidential consent sought by the State Governors. Findings showed that the formation will continue to ensure security stability and bring about peaceful atmosphere in and around the State.
A security review indicated that Ogun State government has assured varied business investors and engaged all different stakeholders on avenues of improving the level of security in nooks and crannies of the State. An earlier engagement with senior banking officials, security chiefs and other stakeholders have started yielding results as the State has witnessed unprecedented influx of investors across the State.
More importantly, this synergy has produced peaceful conduct of business and investment activities in and around Ogun and environs.
The state's swift reaction to checkmate break down of law and order in some part of the that state over cult clash and killings, Governor Abiodun living up to the task of directed the State Commissioner of Police, Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade and the Director, State Security Service (DSS) to relocate their operations to Sagamu and fish out those involved in the cult activities that ravaged some parts of the State.
He also enjoined the youth and build up a counselling platform to encourage them on good moral principles of hard work and prosperity without indulging in cultism and other criminal activities, that could jeopardise their future destiny and rain shame to their parents.No doubt, the existing symbiotic relationship between security formations would no doubt helped to nip the various insecurity across the State in the bud. As some experts are saying that Federal Government should consider the adoption of Community Policing to boost its security efforts in the nation. They also pointed out that it would not brew any trouble for the nation but further helped in achieving the security set goals for the wellbeing of the residents and government at large at reducing level of insecurity to its barest minimum.
The leadership of the Nigeria Police must continue to intensify efforts at working towards reforming the force for effective community policing of the nation. It has even been argued over time that if community policing is instituted, no doubt, the outfits would complement the efforts of the Amotekun corps among other security agencies to battle insecurity to a standstill in the state and provide a leeway that will boost investment drives from both local and foreign areas.
It is generally believe that government alone cannot successfully fight the war against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery among other criminalities without the support and the collaboration of all the stakeholders. According to a proverbial saying, a tree cannot make a forest. Besides, Government on its part must tackle the national insecurity headlong without ethnic sentiment, they should strengthen security apparatus, come out with new offensive security operations, rebuild the weak security network of all security agencies in the nation, purchase modern security equipment and hardware to tackle criminality, improve the welfare all men and officers in the front line and motivate them with better insentives to make them a formidable security force that will salvage the nation from the aunslaught of enemy of Nigeria socio- economic advancement.
Oluwaseun Boye is an Information Officer with the Ogun State Ministry of Information and Strategy writes via oluwaseunboye@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment