2023 Interrogatories: How to Secure Nigeria

femi Akintunde-Johnson

As expected, the worrying issue of insecurity in Nigeria sits at the top of the pack with all the major contestants for the privilege of grabbing the keys to the Aso Villa on 29 May, 2022 ( or is it 12 June?). The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is next in our game. His public pronouncements on the matter are fairly extensive, and do provide enough window room to peep at his probable conduct and commitment in ensuring the safety and well-being of Nigerians – instead of plodding through the saccharined documents polished and sieved clean by sundry apparatchiks of diverse partisan interests. 

  A report by online newspaper, TheCable on 23 May, 2022 quoted Tinubu thus: “I view the issue of insecurity with utmost seriousness and will give it the highest priority in my administration. Our military, police force and security agencies are committed and capable. They have sacrificed much and lost many colleagues in the noble and necessary battle to protect this nation from threats.

  “We must help their brave efforts by further equipping them with high-grade, advanced military (and) law enforcement assets and by fashioning strategies appropriate for the challenges we face.”

  His submission at the interface session with the Arewa Joint Committee in Kaduna mid this month, was less opaque and pandering, thus more nuanced. PremiumTimes of 18 October, 2022 reported: “First, I acknowledge the primacy of security as the number one function of government. If you give me the mandate, my administration will give it all the necessary attention and consolidate the recent investments in our security agencies and successes being recorded in this regard.

  “As you are aware, security is a function of resources. I am committed to mobilizing all assets within our national power to secure Nigeria. We did this in Lagos through many initiatives, especially the Security Trust Fund, through which we addressed many needs of our security forces which helped to sanitise Lagos State.

  “As you may recall, when I assumed office as governor in 1999, the situation I met was a case of banditry where urban gangs ruled the streets. I returned law and order, tamed what could have been a huge ethnic war and made Lagos one of the safest states in Nigeria. I will replicate that across the country.”

  Perhaps, egged by the adoring cheer of his environment, Tinubu stretched the tip of his walking stick to tap on delicate areas, stopping short of clear timelines. Still at the same event: “We will deal decisively with all elements threatening our peace, security and unity. I guarantee you we will end kidnapping and banditry not only through increasing our policing capacity but also through another soft approach that would promote inclusion and boost the economy of our local communities.”

  However, a few days later, and within his own “backyard” – well, one could point to the second anniversary of the chaotic end to the pivotal EndSARS protests as the energizing spirit behind Tinubu’s more poignant support of what he danced around in Kaduna. Vanguard of 26 October reported: “The time has come to take the necessary legal actions to allow for the creation of state police and the recruitment and training of many more police officers.”

  “Such state-created forces should be based on the modern tenets of community policing and optimal relations and cooperation with local communities.

  “Measures such as these are needed to cure present gaps in how military and law enforcement treat the general public. These proposals are important and they do not hamstring proper law enforcement and security operations.” 

   As far as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi was concerned, you could not dissociate insecurity and criminality from abject poverty and indolent leadership. Characteristically, one who comes with a macroeconomic mindset and an advocate of a hands-on small but responsive government, Obi’s take on the security palaver is complemented by a desire for a holistic multidimensional offensive. TheCable of 12 October has this on him from his BBC interview: “You can’t talk about being a country unless you are secure, unless your citizens are secure. So, it’s an issue that must be dealt with decisively.”

  “It’s also something that if you deal with today, you can deal with inflation, because the worst part of inflation we are dealing with is food inflation. So, if you secure the country, your farmers will go back, they will produce more and the food inflation will come down…

  “We have to immediately review and restructure the entire security architecture, make it responsive and responsible. Responsive is that they will deal with issues as quickly as possible. Responsible is that somebody is in charge and if he’s not doing it, don’t wait, the person will go.”

  Earlier, he had deposed to a bold plan that would inevitably upend the contraption we called the Nigerian security suprastructure of today. Hear him as reported by Vanguard of 20 September, 2022: “As a President elected by all Nigerians, the buck will stop at my desk, I will be fully responsible for governance and national security decisions and actions.”

  “Total reform of the entire security architecture that will include three-level policing – Federal, State and Community, properly armed, equipped and technologically driven security system.”

  His thoughts and drive pertaining to the delicate matter of state policing were captured in a TheCable report of 6 October, 2022 during his consultation visit to Nigerians and others at the Harvard University, USA. His quote: “The relevant security institutions and agencies exist. The supporting national security enabling documents and strategies also exist.”

  “We will tweak the security architecture, which will entail reform of the security sector and governance. We will Restructure, Reequip and Reorient the Nigerian Police: This will include three-level policing – federal, state and community…

  “We will build a compact, robust and ready mobile police force with rapid response deployment capabilities; and legislate the establishment of state police based on community policing. We will raise the population of police officers ratio to a higher level.

  “We will have properly manned, equipped and technologically driven security system with particular emphasis on re-focusing the military on external threats and border protection and police on internal security threats and law enforcement; swift prosecution of criminals, bandits and terrorists; enhanced coordination among security agencies; and upholding the rule of law.”

  Now, we have heard and read them – at different fora – recorded and imprinted in perpetuity…these are proposals that the three gentlemen would be rated, weighed and challenged in the event of becoming the beneficiary of our electoral handshake. While the three candidates have fairly similar propositions on battling our hydra-headed security challenges, the obvious “super glue” that would bind these ideas and grandiloquence, and bring real succour to embattled Nigerians is the political will, diplomatic wisdom, exemplary leadership and untarnished selfless determination to get the job done well, and on time.