Nigeria's Security Strategies: Our Open Secrets

It's a common trend for Nigerian security agencies to come to national TV and announce important security strategies in detail. The latest I heard was the Police outlining in detailed form how it hoped to go after and catch certain groups of criminals. And I ask, who are they fooling, me or themselves? Do they think everyone is foolish enough not to think that these criminals have television sets or listen to the news or have family members/accomplices who do? How can you destroy Boko Haram when all your vital plans are always on the evening news? Do you even really want to destroy them or are you seeking to do a form of eyeservice shake-body, telling the Nigerian people, 'Hey, you dey see me? I'm working very hard o!'
 

New security threats keep arising and they can not be contained because the deployment and strategies of all the security agencies can be found on TV, radio and newspaper. The criminals can easily know what class,

departments, ranks and number of security agents that are at any and every part of the country at all times. And then, the IG, the Defense Chief, COAS and Minister of Defense will come out to complete the dossier by telling everyone exactly what the troops will be doing, how they will do it and when they will do it. They feel proud and comfortable giving out these information because no matter what happens, they are safe in Abuja. Last last, na the deployed soldiers and policemen go die. What will happen to the money meant for their families, only God can tell which pocket that one go enter. So my biggest question is, why play politics and eyeservice with vital information about the security of this great nation of 200 million people? The dividends of democracy are the provision of good roads, sound education, constant power, good healthcare, good economy.. not security strategy. Haba!

What Is Our Police Force Doing?

In almost every sensible nation on the planet, the police is the first line of internal security. But in Nigeria the first line of internal security is the Army. Why? 
One, the police population is very low compared to the population of the policed. Two, the police are not usually trusted. Three, the police are not usually feared by those who create security threats. Four, the police are not as trained and equipped as necessary. And Five, the police almost always engage in wrong activities like harassing members of the public, guarding VIPs and robbing innocent citizens of their money and property. I've heard someone say that, in his area, there could be as many as 80 policemen guarding 20 homes. And some years ago, the then IGP Solomon Arase stated that so many policemen/women were actually occupied with carrying bags around for VIPs. But he also played the hypocrite near the end of his tenure when he held the microphone for the president to read an address during an event. Eye service regime of course. 

There are reports which claim that about 150,000 of our over 300,000 police personnel are occupied with guarding VIPs. Meanwhile, non-VIPs who really require police protection are being taken to the station and asked to bring N200,000 because they're wearing dreadlocks, carrying a laptop bag or having an iPhone. While the police are busy with all these activities, the Army are fighting insurgency in the North East, banditry in the North West, herdsmen in the Middle Belt, terrorism in the East, and militancy in the South. A lot of Army personnel are also involved in guarding VIPs and traditional rulers too. Sometimes, I see on the news that the Army Special Forces have arrested some petty amateur criminals and I shake my head in pity. 
The Army does everything from arresting pickpockets to election security to riverine security and you have to ask, 'why have the rest of the 300,000+ policemen (that are not guarding VIPs) doing their job? Is it an order from above or a personal choice?

What's Funny About Nigeria's Security Situation?

"I've just seen the IG, I think he's losing weight. So I think he's working very hard." 

The above statement was Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari's response to a question from the press about whether he would change the security strategy or not (in light of the frequency of killings and kidnapping in Northern Nigeria). Many Nigerians have referred to his words as an attempt at a light joke while others have said that it was perfectly in order. Whatever side of the divide you're on, two things are sure: One, the President recently returned from a private visit to the UK amidst alarming insecurity back at home. Two, those words above were one of the first that Nigerians heard from him on his arrival. 

Now, what really pained me about the entire situation was that he chuckled after making the statement in his trademark comic tone. And I ask, what's so funny? Or rather, who is he mocking? Is he mocking the scores of people that died in his absence, their families or Nigerians as a whole? Is the President supposed to be making light statements or statements followed by a chuckle when addressing a security issue especially when the nation is practically on fire? If you ask me, the man looks very comfortable with the current situation of the country despite the fact that most of the places under attack are the part of the country where he hails from. This was the status quo before he went for vague reasons to the UK, a trip he now makes as a routine activity, and on his return, he does not look or act sober, grieved or even determined to stop at nothing to protect his country. Why is that? Does he know something we don't? Does he care less because he has the UK to run to? By the way, this is not the first time he's made such jokes. He once jokingly asked Governor Samuel Ortom of the troubled Benue state, 'how are your cattle rearers?' A total mockery of the lives and security of our people!

IN US LIES ALL THE FAULT

I'd like to ask Nigerians the question: 'You spent so much effort driving out the military from power and 20 years later, wetin we gain?' By the time the infrastructure that the military put on ground expires, we will start jumping from tree branch to tree branch, right? Yes na, since all the roads will be useless, despite all the loans from China, Sukuk, London, Paris, etc. The military never waited for China o. After a bloody war with devastating effects, a certain youth by the name of Gowon, within a few years, criscrossed this country with roads and other vital infrastructure in the 70s as if it was the 22nd century! Compare that to the youth of nowadays. He's probably still waiting for them to call off the strike so he can complete his 7th year on his 4year course. 

 

The military never waited for Dangote to build a refinery o, they built their own: the ones we have failed to manage today. Even IBB of all people built the 3rd Mainland Bridge we all still use today. How many years ago was that? Some of these politicians' roads cannot last for 24 hours, overnight rain go wash am comot. The universities, stadiums, teacher training schools, colleges of education, etc. that were built during the military era, have we replaced them? Replace kwa! We can't even renovate them or even maintain them sef. 

 

The power is now back in the hands of the people, but what have we done with it so far? They said 'vote and one man will come from nowhere and take us to the Promised Land as if we kept any land somewhere'. After voting in 1999, the man did not appear. They said, 'vote again and the man will just land now now now'. After 2003 elections, the man was still nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, hunger dey sama man. But another voting in 2007, 2011, 2015, still no man. So where is this man?? Maybe it's traffic that's delaying him. You know Lagos roads na. Anyway, 2019 is slowly passing out and we're yet to see the man. We used our own hands to destroy our own country and we sit back waiting for a fantastic knight in shining armor to come and clear all our mess. Some people will say, 'supposing they did not annul June 12, we would have been in El Dorado by now'. They annulled June 12, but they did not annul June 13 and 14. By the way, that election would have also produced a politician. A Nigerian politician, not a spirit. What made Abiola or Tofa so special and superhuman and different from every other Nigerian politician? Stomach infrastructure? IBB was also doing it na. Anyway, I'm not seeking to condemn political rule and appraise military dictatorship. No. Even though, I prefer the latter, I'm seeking to make you understand that 'In Us Lies All The Fault'. The good leaders, bad leaders, military leaders, politicians.. they are all Nigerians. When we reject their mistakes and failings as foreign objects and deny ever knowing them, then we will do nothing but fail. You cannot begin to imagine the number of bad things the American military has done within and outside the US, but still the Americans don't hate hearing about their military like we do ours. Give credit to whom credit is due, accept your mistakes, correct them, don't repeat history and work ahead. Rwanda is a perfect example. Wrecked by genocide and war 25 years ago, they still rose up, found their feet and are now leading Africa in many areas. Why can't we do the same when our war was 50 years ago? No, we can't! Why? Because it's much easier to blame Obasanjo and curse Abacha while living in a condition far worse than the one they left us in.