Last weekend the news of a kidnapped Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Isa Rambo filtered into the media sphere. At first it was unbelievable until the police confirmed the incidents. ACP Rambo was kidnapped with his driver on his way to Jos, along the Kaduna Expressway. He is the Area Commander of the Suleja Area Command. It is rather unfortunate that Nigeria has gotten to this stage.
It has never been this bad for the country that ordinary Nigerians would be insecure at the same time the institution responsible for civil security would have its operatives also being victims of what they are trained and paid to do.
In August, a Divisional Police Officer only identified as Mr. Okoro in the media, was kidnapped along the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha Expressway on his way to Asaba, the Delta State capital, for an official assignment. He was said to have been freed after N3 million was paid as ransom.
Two officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were kidnapped in Osun State in May. They were released after the payment of N1 million ransom. This is a trend that should be discontinued by proactive and sincere action of the government.
For over four years, the Abuja Kaduna road has become a case of ‘On Your Own’ (OYO) for commuters along that route, with the prevalence of kidnapping on the route. Even security personnel now avoid that route totally neglecting the villages and small settlements along the road at the mercy of kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements.
A trip to train stations in Abuja and Rigasa in Kaduna state will tell the tale of a country that seems to be losing its fight against these criminals. Tickets are sold out, hoarded, and eventually sold to highest bidders. There are reports of various irregularities and connections involved in getting train tickets in both the Abuja and Kaduna terminals. It is unfortunate and shameful.
We advise the Federal government to drastically tackle the security challenges across the country. This situation is beyond embarrassment, it has gotten to a stage where it is now shameful. In a country like Nigeria that is making efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investments to develop its economy, having security officials in the news for unfortunate incidents like this is counterproductive. It does not portray Nigeria in a positive light to the world.
ACP Rambo who was kidnapped and later rescued as the police claimed may not be the last of such cases. What would one not see in a country where political leaders seat at a round table with criminals to negotiate cease fire? The recent negotiation and peace deal with criminals in some parts of the country not only embarrassed the security agencies in the country and their efforts, it has emboldened the criminals and tell the world that criminality pays, what you need is to terrorized a part of the country enough to get the attention of the government.
We have challenged the Federal Government to mandate the states government who are involved in the said cease fire negotiation with the criminals to halt the process and let the heavy weight of security agencies and the law takes it cause.
The government must reassure not only Nigerians that the country is safe and secure for human activities, foreign investors must be rest assured that their proposed investment in Nigeria will not be threatened by occupation of criminals involved in kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling and other forms of negative vices that threatened the peace and security of the country.
There is no exaggeration that Nigeria is under-policed, yet political office holders and other public officers have retinue of police and other security operatives attached to them. These officials are ridiculed and relegated to carrying bags and other materials for these public officials. The government has been charged severally to withdraw these operatives and deploy them to tackle security challenges which they are originally employed for.
Not all Nigerians have financial capacity to board flight. The road is the only alternative for all Nigerians. The Federal and the State government should ensure that all roads across the country are secured for motorists and commuters.
Lest we forget, every year, huge funds are appropriated for security agencies, yet they remain ill-equipped to face security challenges. The government should not only increase the fund to security, there should be an independent audit of the government security organizations to investigate how funds appropriated for those agencies are expended.
We look forward to the day we will all wake up and realize these challenges are now a thing of the past.
