Suspected herdsmen in the last two weeks have killed at least six people in the Arimogija and Molege axis of Ose Local Government Area, Ondo State. The development evoked concern from residents of the affected communities, their leaders and the state government. Security personnel swung into action and normalcy has since returned to the communities. Chief Samuel Adetuyi, a retired Commissioner of Police, in this interview with our reporter, Babatunde Ayedoju, speaks on how to secure Ondo State communities from incessant terrorist attacks.
What makes communities like Molege and Arimogija to be vulnerable to terrorist attacks?
The answer is very obvious. That place is some distance away from Ifon, the local government headquarters, where we have the divisional police officer and other law enforcement agencies. If anything is happening there, it may take the police and other security agencies a whole lot of time to arrive. In my very frank opinion, which is based on my experience as a police officer, it is not possible to physically police everywhere in the country, but in most civilised societies, the first thing they do is to create excellent capacity for the police to be able to do their job.
Checkpoints are all over the country. People know where police, military, Civil Defence and Amotekun checkpoints are all located. Only fools will carry objects that can implicate them in such places, and criminals are no fools. It’s a complex thing that government must think about. What we are doing now is to react to incidents when they happen but that is not the way to go.
There are beliefs and there have also been reports that some natives are involved in kidnapping and other crimes. For instance, in the attack on a church in Owo, there were reports that some indigenes of a neighbouring states were fingered.
Crime has no colouration. Irrespective of your ethnic group, when you commit a crime and the police has capacity to deal with you, they will get you wherever you are. It is not about tribe, religion or gender. Crime is crime. Crime has only one denomination. A particular person committed a crime, he or she has been caught and dealt with.
Attackers are known to carry sophisticated weapons, such as AK 47. Do you think citizens should be encouraged to resort to self-help?
Someone who carries AK-47 and another person who has a cutlass are not on the same level of attack and defence. I have already stated what can help this country, especially the police. Nigeria, Nigerians and the government must create capacity for the police to be able to do their job. Otherwise, we will continue to make motion without movement.
How can we find a solution to incessant terrorist attacks of this nature?
Police must have the capacity to deal with this scourge, whatever name it is called, armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry. If you go round the country now, what can the police do? I’ve been to other countries and I have seen policing there. Government must learn from what is happening in other countries and bring it to bear here. Look at Israel, Britain and US. Look at what Nigerians have gone through recently, is it happening in other places? No. If the people in charge are ignorant of what to do, they should learn from other countries. There’s no shame in learning what you don’t know.
Talking about improving the capacity of the police, beyond salary and welfare, what are some of the ways the government can improve on the capacity of the police?
The welfare of the police is very germane, but beyond that, we are in a technological age. Technology-driven approach is what helps the police to provide adequate security. If I carry AK-47 in the booth of my car, cover it and drive to a checkpoint, from what I have noticed on our roads, there is no way such an object is going to be detected. If you ask the man to open his booth, he will open it but will not open where the weapon is kept, because he is not a fool. The security personnel will only take a glance at the booth, probably check your bag and let you go. So, when the individual gets to the targeted community, he simply begins to operate.
However, in most developed societies that we are supposed to learn from, nobody will stand on the road to check vehicles like that. Recently, I was in the United States, and I saw between Los Angeles and San Diego a 14 lane road. Where will a police man stand on that 14 lane road to check the booths of people’s cars? If you keep an AK-47 in your car and ply such a road, nobody will stop you. Instead, a computer will track your vehicle, they will isolate it, pick you and punish you.
It’s not about grand standing or window dressing. We know that the government is trying but certain things must be put in place. Once somebody knows that if he carries a weapon, no matter where it is hidden, he will be caught, he won’t carry it.
If attackers come with cutlass, the members of the community will come out with their own cutlasses. However, when attackers come with AK-47, self-preservation is the first law of nature.
Beyond the government, what are some of the ways the public can join in the fight against crime and help to overcome it?
As a member of a community, if you see anything that is strange, you should report it, because that is the starting point. Members of the affected communities know one another. If as you go about your daily activities you see someone who is strange, you should find out the person’s mission. They should report suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies through their traditional rulers, religious leaders and leaders of thought.
