Sustaining the Fight against Crime

With the increasing wave of crime, breakdown of law and order and lawlessness across the country, Chiemelie Ezeobi examines the effort by the police to sustain peace across board

Upon assumption of office on April 7, 2021, one thing was glaring to the 26th Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, the numerous challenges facing the Nigerian Police Force needed to be tackled and quickly too. From issues of welfare to the worrying attacks on police formations and divisions, as well as the increasing cases of kidnapping and banditry.

Even before he was confirmed IG on June 4, he set the ball rolling by initiating kinetic and non-kinetic approaches targeted at re-ordering security in the country. This he hoped would reassure citizens of the renewed commitment of the police force to the fight against crimes and criminality.

While calling for sustained support for the police and the security community given that efforts are being intensified to enhance public safety, peace and security, the IG had first gone back to the drawing board with members of his management team to assess the trend and pattern of crimes and other security issues across the country.

At the end, they conceptualised a new policing mission, vision and operational agenda aimed at guiding policing services, reclaiming the public space from criminal elements, protecting the citizens with courage and serving the country with compassion. The strategy was also to improve public relations and regain the trust of the citizens through improved community engagements, enhancement of ethical policies and the fight against corruption.

Two months down the line, the burning question remains if that strategic policing has paid off given the security situation and whether they have truly realigned the Nigeria Police to citizens expectations.

Operation Restore Peace

One of the many operations launched by the police as a vehicle in the fight against crime and criminality was Operation Restore Peace. Targeted at the South-east and South-south, the operation kicked off on May 18 and 19 respectively and was built on the premise that it would ensure public safety, restore public order and constitutional authority in the regions.

To ensure the goal and directives are achieved, the police are determined the operation would not go the way others did. To achieve this, THISDAY gathered that they are already carrying out
operational needs assessment with plans to flag-off this special operation in other states and regions as a national approach to roll-back the increasing wave of crimes, breakdown of law and order, lawlessness, etc. in the country.

Control of Proliferation of Arms, Ammunition
That crime is on the upward can be blamed on the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). This grim revelation does not bode well especially at this critical time when the nation is experiencing grave serious security challenges across all the regions. It stands to reason that with access to illegal weapons, criminals have become more fortified and hence less amenable to entreaties to make peace.

Given the porousity of our borders, it has been easy for such perpetrators of crime to access arms and ammunition, which has inadvertently resulted in total breakdown of law and order. The danger it portends is that the proliferation of these weapons fall into the hands of non-state actors such as Boko Haram insurgents, bandits, herdsmen, militants and even kidnappers, who become objects of terror with zero regard for human life.

According to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) which has done extensive studies on the dangers posed by SAWL, “the uncontrolled trade in small arms and light weapons is a matter of life and death to people around the world.”

Expressing greater concern that it is easy for children to be easily taught how to handle these weapons, which are lethal but light and easy to use yet once exposed to them, UNICEF lamented that what follows is “a vicious cycle of crime and violence”.

Reasonably worried about the dangers of such weapons in the hands of non-state actors, the police under Baba embarked on deliberate and well-coordinated nationwide mop-up of illicit weapons to contain the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the country.

Already, they are identifying and have raided factories where assault rifles and ammunition are manufactured locally. Recently, a syndicate whose local fabrication enclave is in Jos, Plateau State was arrested. Also, in identifying and blocking weapon supply chains in and around the country, they have recorded several arrests and recovery of several sophisticated/locally fabricated firearms and ammunition.

Tactical Operations
It is pertinent to also note that through sustenance of intelligence-driven and tactical operations by the police in collaboration with the Armed Forces and other security agencies, the Abuja-Kaduna highway which had hitherto been vulnerable is now better secured. Given the successes recorded, THISDAY gathered that they are extending the joint efforts to the security of communities, travelers and other road users on major highways nationwide, which has recorded significant reduction in highway armed robbery and kidnappings as the major highways are quite safer than they were before.

They also channelled efforts towards containing acts of banditry in the North-west, North-east and North-central Zones. Although acts of kidnapping by bandits have been rife, especially those targeted at school children, the police believe that
kidnapping and armed robbery incidents that were prevalent in other parts of the country have also significantly mitigated.

Statistics of Successes
Though much successes have been recorded, the police were able to between April and June, 2021, arrest a total of 770 high-profile suspects comprising bandits, kidnappers and armed robbers during various operations conducted across board.

They also arrested 173 bandits in a major anti-banditry operation in collaboration with the Nigeria Armed Forces and the local community, just as they safely rescued a total of 152 kidnapped victims including the students kidnapped at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation Kaduna. The police also recovered 276 assorted firearms, 16,515 rounds of ammunition of different calibre.

Attempts to Contain Actions of Separationist Agenda
One challenge that has bugged the police since the beginning of the year was the constant attacks and clashes with separationists especially those clamouring for the sovereignty of Biafra. This crisess manifested into attacks on police stations with wanton destruction of lives and properties.

To ameliorate this, the police were said to have evolved new operational strategies which includes the launch of new special operation code named “Operation Restore Peace”. The flag-off of the operation was undertaken in Enugu (for the South-east Operational Theatre) on May 18, 2021 and in Port Harcourt (for the South-south Operational Theatre on May 19, 2021).

Despite the dissenting voices that greeted that initiative, the police hierarchy maintained that the operation was targeted at restoring peace and constitutional order in South-east and South-south zones; subduing enemies and criminal non-state actors; protecting security assets and other critical national infrastructure including personnel and facilities of INEC; and expanding well-coordinated intelligence-led operations to confront armed secessionist groups by enhancing intelligence gathering efforts and utilisation capacity.

Others include enhancing intelligence sharing through strengthening inter-agency collaboration with the Military, DSS and other security agencies; deepening community engagement to weaken recruitment drive by secessionists groups; reinforcing of police commands in the South-east and South-south regions with special deployment of police personnel including intelligence operatives, PMF, CTU, NPF Special Forces, IRT and STS); mass mobilisation and deployment of operational assets including the Police Airwing, Marine, and the Explosive Ordinance Department among others.

For the police, the gains of the operation far outweighs the perceived loss. Accordingly, they posited that they have re-dominated the public space and reduction of hitherto indiscriminate attacks by secessionists groups; disrupted and destabilised armed campaigns and networks; neutralised the Commander of the armed wing of IPOB, the ESN popularly known as “Ikonson Commander” and his deputy during separate joint operations with the Army and DSS.

They also neutralised one Joseph Uka Nnachi a.k.a “Dragon” the Commander of the armed wing of IPOB that took over after the death of “Ikonson Commander” and second-in-command in Imo State on June 6, 2021, just as they recovered weapons during direct confrontation with the secessionist groups including two General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 22 AK-47 rifles, 14 Pump Action rifles, six pistols, nine locally, fabricated rifles, eight locally fabricated pistols, 26 AK-47 magazines, 753 GPMG live ammunition, 2549 rounds of live ammunition, 16 IEDs, camouflage, bullet proof vests, walkie talkies with IPOB insignia, charms and other incriminating items.

Despite the vilifying by Nigerians, stakeholders are of the opinion that within the past two months, the police have sustained the fight against crimes and achieved tremendous success in public safety and security, though there is room for more improvement, especially in protecting their stations and divisions.