SECURITY SITUATION: FG MUST BE MORE PROACTIVE

17^th April, 2014

PRESS RELEASE:

SECURITY SITUATION: FG MUST BE MORE PROACTIVE

Terrorists bombed Nyanya motorpark on Monday 14^th April, 2014 killing scores of innocent people. The next day, about 100 schoolgirls were abducted by insurgents suspected to be Boko Haram fighters. Within the same week, another sizeable number of students on their way to write the JAMB examination were slaughtered by dare-devil criminals.       

All the above atrocities amplify the fact that the Nigerian project is endangered. The security agencies seem to have been engaging in sheer propaganda regarding the war against Boko Haram. We find it quite disturbing that the Boko Haram phenomenon is escalating especially during the month of April which the new army chief promised to end this social cankerworm.

While we condemn the ruthless bombing at Nyanya, the heartless killing of JAMB candidates and the ruthless abduction of school girls, we believe that the Federal Government has not done enough to protect ordinary Nigerians. The spate of bombings and killings also proves that the emergency rule imposed by the Federal Government is not working.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) condemns the concentration of the security paraphernalia around ministers, high-ranking politicians and other influential people. It beats our imagination that those who can afford to employ private security details are feeding fat on the jamaheer (poor masses) thereby exposing them to great danger.

It is nauseating that a tiny cabal monopolises the insufficient number of policemen and other security agents. This robs the rest of the Nigerian society of adequate policing and the few security agents who are left are overwhelmed by the pressure of work.

MURIC reminds the Federal Government that the United Nations recommends one policeman for 488 civilians. The Nigeria Police has about 310,177 officers and men while the State Security Services (SSS) has about 33,000 personnel. These figures reflect numerical deficiency because for Nigeria’s population of about 167 million Nigeria needs at least 577,608 policemen. Our police-civilian population ratio today stands at 1.538.

This is grossly inadequate. But the last nail in the coffin of security concerns in this country is the concentration of security apparatus around top government officials and powerful politicians. This is our Achille’s heel and the earlier the Federal Government plugs this yawning lacuna the better.

MURIC advises the Federal Government not to extend the emergency rule. It has only succeeded in impoverishing innocent civilians. In fact emergency rules are becoming anachronistic around the world.

What FG needs to do is to be more proactive. The security agents should focus more on intelligence gathering. More policemen and SSS should be recruited and their welfare should be improved. FG must also spend more money on the army and acquire better weapons. More importantly, the excess security men around the capitalist compradore bourgeoisie should be drastically reduced.

Finally, in view of the fact that security is an all-comers responsibility, we remind Nigerians to be extra-vigilant. Unattended or abandoned bags inside airports, markets and public buildings, strange faces, suspicious behaviours, etc should be reported to security agencies.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)