Insecurity everywhere

By Theo Adebowale
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Insecurity inevitably envelopes a people that consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or carelessly compromise simple but natural rules guiding their community. Whether in fables or stories, in the holy books or records of individuals  or groups, wherever there is a conspiracy to compromise standards that are otherwise sacrosanct, the  consequence has always been expensive, often ghastly. This can be illustrated with two different narratives on a young criminal. This young man was offended by his wife, in a rage, he murdered her.

Promptly, the law caught up with him, he was prosecuted and promptly jailed. The first version claimed that the siblings of the convict reside abroad and have means. They made efforts and penetrated government after he had served some prison term. Government showed favour to the convict and he was pardoned by the state. If that was true, we would want to know whether it is lobby that secures pardon, or an official confirmation of remorse, repentance and a strong conviction that a convict would turn a new leaf and become a reference to the ability of our penal system to reform even a murderer?

But another version claims that the convict took advantage of a jail break to return to his community to start a new life. In the process of picking the pieces of his life, he wooed another lady. During their courtship, the lady decided to call it quits. The lady whom he had raised a staggering amount of N20,000 to start a business decided to jilt him. The lover boy decided to teach her and her household a lesson the community would not forget in a hurry. He set their home ablaze in the dead of the night while members of the household and all normal human beings were asleep.

If the second version was the correct report, then the community was culpable. How can a people who value their lives and understand the gravity of law breaking keep mute while a convict returned home when he was yet to serve his term? Which community of decent public officials or law abiding citizens would descend into that level of lawlessness and lack of patriotism? Rather than waiting to confirm which version is valid, we would admit that in Nigeria, anything is possible. Under some guise, various communities in Nigeria have provided cover for criminals of different degrees. In the name of saving a member or not losing an opening several characters that an individual would not allow to feature in his establishment, had been supported and promoted to occupy strategic positions in public service.

Politicians are known to have shared vacancies in public departments and agencies as slots for their bad boys. Any wonder therefore that the police, and other security agencies harbor criminals in their folds. Nobody takes it serious when a Commissioner of Police in a state counsels relatives of those held in captivity to go pay ransom, rather than follow the lead provided to pursue kidnappers. Is it a strategy that the Police would disappear from their toll collection point before a robbery or kidnap takes place? It becomes more disgusting when enemies within leak to abort criminals plans of a new regime to tackle security problems.

It is common knowledge that whenever and wherever economic problems like unemployment, inflation, hunger and others abound, insecurity escalates. But a situation as in Nigeria where mafia gangs sponsor criminal groups to overrun communities and despoil the people calls for a solution beyond the ordinary. How may we explain the attack of men and women whose mission statement is that western education is bad, on rural communities is that western education is bad, on rural communities where there is neither present western civilization or education? How do we analyse how insurgents, militants and kidnappers have access to military and security movements and deployment? Do we need an angel to tell us that our security and defense architecture have been infected by viruses of sabotage and betrayal?

It is no longer safe to travel in the night as well as in the day, on highways or artery roads. The poor may be kidnapped, just as the rich are abducted. What can save us from this generation that has no value for human lives or property items? Who would save us from these ubiquitous maraunders on rampage in cities as well as back side villages?

The security challenge is enormous, it cannot be wished away. For sure insecurity is already a phenomenon in the land. There is a need for a paradigm shift to be able to address the issue pragmatically.

The paradigm shift should derive from the reality of Nigeria as a federation, a republic where kingdoms also exist. Policing and security matters must be handled within the reality of these components. The city provides anonymity for security operatives, an identity the detective may cherish some time, but policing, the more so in a society where values are fast disappearing would be best facilitated by those who share language, religion, history and values with those who consume police services. It would take an operative who speaks their language less effort to gain confidence and enjoy cooperation of ordinary folks. In the face of insecurity, there is a threat to the corporate community if lawlessness in the form of mob action, lynching and other forms of jungle justice would not prevail. We cannot leave security issues in the hands of propagandists and attention seekers, otherwise political parties other than the one in power would surely be up to that task. Rather there must be a non-partisan resolve to tackle insecurity frontally.