It is possible for the federal government of Nigeria to reduce the current rate of armed robbery, kidnappings, border crimes, terrorist bombings, other violent crimes and the general feeling of insecurity.
These are the days in Nigeria when armed robbers would seize an entire community or city for hours without intervention from any security agency. The result of the National Crime Victimization and Safety Survey conducted recently by CLEEN Foundation indicates that armed robbery cases in Nigeria increased by 6% from 11% in 2010 to 17% in 2012. Between 180,000 and 200,000 barrels of crude oil, an equivalent of Gabon?s oil production, amounting to over $120 million, is reportedly stolen daily. Almost on daily basis, incidents of terrorist bombing are reported in northern parts of Nigeria. This is a very unacceptable situation and there are definitely, possible solutions.
First and foremost, ensuring the security of one another and our various residential, as well as business areas is the obligation of every Nigerian resident and each individual ought to be conscious of this fact. Therefore, there is a need for increased budget and effort towards public awareness as regards individual roles in collective security. Apart from the federal government, the state and local governments should give a more serious focus to matters of security. Corporate organisations, especially financial institutions should shop for and deploy more sophisticated protective facilities that would make it difficult for robbers to achieve their objectives irrespective of how destructive the weapons in their possession are.
Secondly, as long as there is an absence of adequate specific information and means of security identification for each individual resident and visitor of Nigeria, exposing of criminal intentions before they are executed and the effective investigation of crimes committed, would continue to pose a heavy challenge to security agencies.
Also, government should muster enough political will to prosecute and punish proven offenders of laws of the land. This will serve as a deterrent to potential offenders. It is equally important that Nigerian parents give more attention to the character upbringing of their children as this would help to minimize insider threat to security of their own lives and property. In addition, sectional grievances across the country should be addressed on a dialogue table.
It is necessary for government to understand that the installation of functional Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras on the streets of Nigeria is as important as the installation of street lights. Therefore, areas for installation of this critical facility should not be restricted and monitoring centres should be efficient and reliable. The challenge of high budgetary implications for such project is understandable but a properly articulated and phased plan followed by a judicious implementation is very possible.
The unnecessary competition that allegedly occurs among security agencies in the handling of high profile crimes should be eliminated in the nation?s interest as this could only impede their collective performance and further, power insecurity.
Again, there is a need for the authorities to give more attention to the porous nature of the nation?s borders and sea boundaries which has contributed to the proliferation of firearms. Security operatives at such locations should be reposted more frequently to check complacency and a regular profiling of individual operatives at such duty posts should become a norm. Training of these personnel should also be intensified while individual agencies should be called upon to account for each border crime case when they occur. An existing challenge is that people hardly get punished or even queried for failure to perform their duties.
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar should be commended for personnel welfare improvements he has recorded since assumption of office, including salary upgrade and promotion. However, the issues surrounding recruitment process should be addressed. A significant number of police personnel in Nigeria never planned to end up as policemen and women. They joined the force out of the need to get employed rather than the passion for security job. This is why for instance, a policeman sees two citizens fighting in public and inflicting harm on each other. He (a security man) expresses lack of concern because he lacks passion for security as a profession. He merely joined the force for the sake of daily bread.??Besides, to minimize insider threat to security, there is a need for a change in recruitment process, which must be devoid of corrupt practices such as bribery. This needed adjustment applies to all security agencies in the country. No one should be recruited as a security personnel simply on the grounds of possessing a university degree or any academic qualification for that matter. A deeper probe of individual backgrounds is necessary.
The Nigeria police should equally change its method of posting police men and women across the country. A very essential ingredient of policing is the knowledge and understanding of the environment or community involved. So, policing will be more effective and efficient if policemen and women are posted to their various states and communities of origin. Such system of posting would drive the passion of the police officer who now realizes that he is no longer just working for government, but also working for the security of his community. He understands that members of his community have his personal profile. So, he cannot afford to compromise security, shirk his responsibilities or under-perform. Otherwise, his job will be on the line.??This will also help the force to sort out the bad eggs in the system, based on information from their communities that know the officers too well.
An officer who happens to be posted to his hometown, knows the terrain very well and would be able to do a better intelligence job and conduct more result-oriented investigations.
Considering the increasing rate of cyber crimes, confirmed computer literacy should be made compulsory for the nation?s security personnel. Training should also be improved for plain clothes detectives while more of them should be recruited.
There is also an urgent need to tackle social insecurity issues which have contributed to increased crime rate. They include the question of over 23.9% unemployment rate presented by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country?s reported housing deficit of about 15 million and the death of existing companies as a result of the high cost of power generation. According to the President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr. Herbert Ajayi, no fewer than 800 companies in Nigeria closed shop between 2009 and 2011 due to harsh operating business environment and insecurity. This implies more job losses and possible crime rate boost.
Dr. Ajayi adds that capacity utilization in industries hovered around 30% and 45% on the average, with 100% overheads while manufacturing industry operates on more than 70% of energy it generates, using generators. As security agencies move to review their approaches to security, it is necessary for government to address the constraint of epileptic power supply which is capable of contributing immensely to reduction in both unemployment and crime rates.
ALBINUS CHIEDU
CEO, OUTPUT COMMUNICATIONS
29, ADENIYI JONES AVENUE
IKEJA, LAGOS
