THE OTUKPO BANK ROBBERY
The police must be well-provided for
In a grim replay of the Offa banks’ robbery six years ago, dozens of armed men recently invaded Otukpo, Benue State, and looted five banks, carting away an undisclosed sum of money. Armed with explosives and sophisticated weapons, the criminal gang killed eight people, including the Divisional Police Officer of Otukpo Police station and three other operatives. A perplexed Abba Moro who represents the area in the Senate asked, “We have several security checkpoints: there is the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the road safety, the Department of State Services, and none of them got a hint that 60 armed men in two Hilux vehicles were coming to invade Otukpo? Where is intelligence?”
The coordinated robbery attack on banks is another sad reminder of the state of insecurity in Nigeria. Across the country criminals now operate in a brazen manner. Like in Offa, Kwara State, the robbers reportedly rode into the town in a convoy, overpowered the few police operatives in their station, before blowing up the banks’ vaults. And like Offa, and indeed Auchi in Edo State after it, the armed robbers operated for about an hour without response from the security agencies, and in the process setting the entire community on edge.
While the residents of Otukpo, the traditional headquarters of the Idoma people, and environs are apparently still gripped with fear, the attendant consequences, and losses to the community and beyond are huge. The attack has compounded the pains and frustrations of the people as banking services are now on skeletal basis or completely shut down. This will complicate businesses. Incidents like this, according to Idoma associations in the Diaspora could discourage potential investors who seek security and stability in their endeavours.
While we commiserate with the families of the deceased persons, the Otukpo incident has further underlined the serious handicap of the Nigeria Police Force, and indeed the entire security apparatus. The police are undermanned, underequipped, and ill-trained. Over the years we have stated repeatedly the need to ensure the police are well-prepared for their primary duty of securing the nation. According to reports, some of the operatives who became easy prey to the criminals during the operation were unarmed. Indeed, many policemen, while on duty across the nation, act unprofessionally. Some officers sleep behind the counters while others walk around in slippers, acts that are suggestive of indiscipline.
At a period when bandits and terrorists are dispensing violence across the land, the federal government cannot continue with the same strategy that has failed to achieve results. We acknowledge the sacrifice of our security forces, and we commend their efforts. But whatever they are doing is clearly not enough. We need to step up the onslaught against the criminal cartels, regain the confidence of the communities and leverage technology extensively to fight crime. Overall, we need a comprehensive security sector reform to reshape and reorganise, especially in the areas of policy and doctrinal changes, manpower recruitment and retraining, equipment, remuneration and welfare as well as civil relations. In addition, the various calls for the establishment of state police deserve urgent constitutional attention. Fortunately, President Bola Tinubu has slated the police for a major reform. It is needed now.
Government, at all levels, must be reminded of its responsibility not just for human welfare but for security of life and property. We therefore align ourselves with the position of the Senate on a thorough investigation of the crime, and the need for a total overhaul of the Police as an institution. But first the authorities must ensure that those who executed the brazen attack on innocent citizens in Otukpo are made to face the full wrath of the law.
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We need a comprehensive security sector reform to reshape and reorganise, especially in the areas of policy and doctrinal changes, manpower recruitment and retraining, equipment, remuneration and welfare as well as civil relations
