AN UNYIELDING OBSTACLE

More than anything else, the persistent killing of innocent persons in parts of the country, may be the most serious impediment to the possible re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, writes Nseobong Okon-Ekong

As reactions continue to trail the killing of over 100 persons by suspected Fulani herdsmen in several villages in Plateau State, the latest response from President Muhammadu Buhari indicating a willingness to reorganise the security apparatus in Nigeria brings a glimmer of hope for a fresh initiative to tackle widespread unjustifiable insecurity in the country.

A hint that the nation’s security machinery could be thoroughly overhauled emerged from a closed-door meeting President Muhammadu Buhari had with Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

Buhari had long been criticised from different quarters by opinion leaders who felt the security chiefs were not doing enough to stem the tide of killings across the country. A few, like the former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma alleged outright collusion between security agencies and the suspected killers. The army has since investigated Danjuma’s indictment and absolved its personnel of any wrongdoing.

Buhari was elected on the premise that he had a solution to the myriad of security issues facing the nation. Those who gave him benefit of the doubt on this significant problem, probably considered his military background, thinking he would not only have a good understanding of what to do, but would command the respect and confidence of officers and men in the security services.

Three years after he assumed power, however, the security concern around the country has apparently increased manifold, reaching worrisome proportions, in many instances that has prompted calls for declaration of state of emergency in the troubled parts of the federation. Though some appreciable gain was recorded in repelling the menace of insurgents in the North-east of the country, such achievements have since been eroded by the frequency of fatalities recorded by attacks from suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The deduction made by many is that the President was treating the killer Fulani herders with kid gloves. Professor Wole Soyinka ranks high among persons in this school of thought. Buhari’s body language has not done much to discountenance this suspicion. His often repeated mantra for peaceful co-existence between host communities and the drifting Fulani herders has been interpreted as a subtle encouragement to the dastardly acts of the suspected herders; just because they are his kinsmen. For instance, neither the President nor any of his aides attended the mass burial of victims of alleged killer Fulani herders earlier in the year. This was considered to be most insensitive and was roundly condemned by many right thinking people.

Buhari’s on the spot assessment of the recent killings in Plateau state demonstrate a change in attitude, although he was criticised for visiting Cross River State before making a detour to Plateau on the same day. This was a clear departure from his antecedent of shutting his ears and eyes to such occurrence.

Having learnt from the public outcry which followed the perceived insensitivity of federal government officials to killings by suspected Fulani herders, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo joined mourners at the funeral of two Catholic priests and 17 other worshippers who were killed in Gwer local government area of Benue State last April. Osinbajo condemned the attack and assured residents that the perpetrators will not go unpunished. The two priests, Rev. Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, were killed during a mass along with 17 worshippers when the attackers invaded St. Ignatius Quasi Parish Ukpor-Mbalom in Ayar-Mbalom community. They were buried at the Ave Maria Prayer Pilgrimage Ground, on the Ayati hilltop in Gwer.

Condemnation for these killings often assumed a religious character, particularly when Catholic faithful in seven states took to the streets protesting the continued killings of innocent people by herdsmen. The Catholics trooped to the streets in Edo, Oyo, Benue, Lagos, Kaduna, Adamawa and Kwara. The peaceful protests coincided with the burial of the 17 church members and the two priests killed during a mass in Benue. On a different occasion, members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) took to the streets to protest the killing of their members by herdsmen.

Critics compare the decisive manner with which the Buhari administration deals with agitators for a sovereign state of Biafra in the South-east, particularly proscribing pro-Biafra groups, arrest, prosecution and detention of their members to the slap-on-the-wrist action against suspected killer herders. So far, the security agencies have not questioned the likes of Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State who openly claimed that he paid monetary compensation and other forms of appeasement to aggrieved Fulani groups neither has the leadership of the ethnic herders association that claimed responsibility for violent attacks on villages in the Middle-belt been investigated.

Much of the negative publicity that have trailed the Buhari administration are tied to its handling of the issue of insecurity, particularly the wanton killing of innocent people in the Middle-belt by suspected Fulani herdsmen.  As news of more killings of innocent people by herdsmen in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas in Benue State were reported at the beginning of the year, Buhari ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to move immediately to Benue State to restore law and order. Idris announced with fanfare that he was moving to Benue with additional five units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) making a total of 10 units of PMF deployed in the state in addition to other Police formations on the ground in the state before the crisis. There would also be the complement of more units of the Police Special Forces, Counter Terrorism Units, and Conventional Policemen. There was unrelenting aerial surveillance by Police helicopters, while the Police Mobile Force personnel, Police Special Forces and conventional Police personnel, the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Police Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD) and Special Police Joint Intelligence and Investigation teams would be everywhere in Benue State. The President was thoroughly embarrassed when he learnt three months later that his order had not been complied with.

On the question of the suspected killer herders, the Presidency has been singing discordant tunes. At different times, the killings have been attributed to invaders from Libya. At another time, accusing fingers were pointed at herders from neighbouring countries.  Lately, the Presidency put the blame for the killings on its political opponents that are trying to blight its scorecard with such humiliation. The uproar on this statement credited to Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina had hardly died when the latest incident of killings were recorded again in Plateau State.

Expressing regret over the reported killings of innocent people in Plateau, Buhari vowed that his administration would not rest until the murderers and sponsors are brought to justice. He described the incident as “very painful and regrettable.’’ He, therefore, condoled with communities and families of those affected by the dastardly act. His message read: “The grievous loss of lives and property arising from the killing in Plateau today is painful and regrettable. My deepest condolences to the affected communities, we will not rest until all murderers and criminal elements and their sponsors are incapacitated and brought to justice.’’ The Police Command in Plateau confirmed the killing of 86 people in attacks on Razat, Ruku, Nyarr, Kura and Gana-Ropp villages of Gashish District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state. ASP Terna Tyopev, the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO) confirmed that, “Fifty houses, two cars and 15 motorcycles were completely burnt down.”

The orgy of killings in Plateau may not be unconnected with the moves to overhaul the security apparatus of the country. Briefing State House correspondents after the talks with Buhari, Dogara said the President was coming up with a new security plan. Condemning the Plateau killings, the Speaker expressed hope that the impending change would end the reign of violence in the country. According to him, “If you go to the northeast, you can see ­the level of devastation caused by Boko ­Haram. Everything resembling progress, fro­m schools to hospitals to government ins­titutions, everything has been pulled do­wn. And we don’t want a replication of t­his all over the country.”

Similarly, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo had expressed the Federal Government’s concern over several atrocities leveled against  operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and vowed to end the menace soon. Osinbanjo stated that the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the concerns raised about SARS operations was reflected in President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive for an immediate review and restructuring of the unit. According to the Vice President, “Many people are complaining about the atrocities of SARS, people are saying there should be no more SARS.  SARS as you know is anti-robbery squad but several members of the squad have gone rogue and are doing things that are contrary to the very reasons for which they were set up. “But it is not enough to just say, ‘end SARS’. You know it is an anti-robbery squad. What we need to end is to deal with the atrocities of SARS, we want to end everything that is wrong that they are doing. The President has already ordered a review of the formation of SARS so that very soon we would be able to have SARS that will be responsible.”

The disclosure by Dogara comes against the background of last year’s extension of tenure of the service chiefs by President Buhari. Many who expected Buhari to name new service chiefs were disappointed by the development since their constitutionally recognised tenure had variously expired. A statement by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said, Buhari having carefully reviewed the on-going military operations across the nation and the efforts of the Chief of Defence Staff and the Service chiefs in the counter insurgency operations in the North-east coupled with the security situation of the Niger Delta region, has graciously approved the extension of tenure of service of General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai Chief of Army Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-EteIkwe Ibas, the Chief of Naval staff and Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, the Chief of Air staff. “This extension is pursuant of the powers conferred on the President and Commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by section 218 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and section 09.06 of the Harmonised Terms and Conditions for Service for officers (2012) Revised.

Unfolding events, however, appear to have defeated the purpose for which extension of tenure was granted the service chiefs. Not too long ago, the service chiefs had sought and obtained the understanding of the National Assembly for a Special Fund, outside appropriation, to enable them tackle the security challenges in Nigeria.

The security problems in the country have become compounded by complex inter-agency skirmishes. One of the notoriousfrictions between security operatives under the Buhari administration was the prevention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the Department of State Services (DSS) from arresting a former Director General of the agency in Abuja.

The EFCC had stormed the residence of a former DSS, Ekpenyong Ita situated at 46, Mamman Nasir, Asokoro, Abuja to effect an arrest and investigate allegations on offences bordering on diversion of public funds among others but was prevented from doing so. Also, efforts to arrest a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, (NIA), Ayo Oke by EFCC was blocked leading to hours of faceoff with DSS operatives. Oke was sacked by President Buhari following the discovery of over N43 billion by the EFCC at the Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Even as many look forward to a change in security apparatus in the country, they are not convinced that such changes will be profound enough to bring about drastic consequences on the perpetrators of the killings, which may in turn end the killing spree. In a country that is not officially at war, the Nigerian military is fully stretched to its limit, fighting insurgents and separatists in different parts of the country. The soldiers are reportedly war weary, operating under difficult conditions in which their officers expose them to serious harm and sometimes death by misappropriating huge sums of monies meant for procurement of weapons to prosecute the war.

In the Middle-belt states like Taraba, Benue and Plateau states, the indigenes have told their governors in unequivocal terms that they cannot hope to return for a second term on a party platform that has President Muhammadu Buhari as its arrow head. As far as the people of the Middle-belt are concerned the Buhari administration has looked the other way while its people are being killed in their thousands by suspected Fulani herdsmen.