INSECURITIES IN NIGERIA: ENIKAN LO MO!

Two weeks ago, I escaped bullet, and perhaps death, by a whisker. Put better, through the grace of God. Death, yes, you heard me! I was almost a victim of stray or traget bullet if not for God. 

I've driven to office and parked my car outside to attend to some of the pressing issues of the day when a colleague came in and asked: what happened to my car? I was startled but I maintained a bold face and told him nothing because sincerely I could not remember hitting anybody or someone hitting me. Be that as it may, knowing the kind of city I live in, my mind goes to the Maruwa guys whose menaced to motorists have reached crescendo. 

Immediately, I stood up and followed him downstairs only to see that the windshield of my car has been pierced. At first, I thought it could be the hand work of small children who are found of throwing stones though I found it a bit difficult to believe since I didn't park along the street. Hence, my second thought of the possibility of someone carrying an iron-like-object who was not mindful enough such that it got the glass broken. 

While ruminating on these options, I looked inside alongside others, I could not see any object until a friend looked closely and saw that the back dashboard of the car was pierced too. On seen that, I believed whatever must have pierced the dashboard must be inside the car. My conclusion was right. As I glanced around, I saw a bullet almost a size of my little thumb. I showed it around to people with me who advised I made a reportage to the police. 

Deep within me, I thank God that neither me nor someone else was a victim of the mystery bullet. This is because whether stray or traget bullet, a bullet that was forceful enough to pierce a car windshield and also make a mark on the dashboard is strong enough to make a hole in someone head or any part of the body with grave consequences. 

Like I said sometimes ago, living in Nigeria is increasingly becoming precarious. Everyday one goes out and comes back should be ended with thanksgivings.  No where appears to be safe. The Northeast is ravaged by Boko Haram. The Northwest by banditry. The Southwest, the Southeast and South South are daily menaced by kidnapping, herdsmen, armed robbery, militancy, ... and police brutality. 

While my worry is on the rising insecurities on one hand, my greatest worry is that those in authorities know the solutions to this problem but they're either in capable of doing it, and or timid to do it. For instance, it has been said over the years that the Nigeria Police is understaffed. The question is while can more people be recruited? Someone will says cost implications, yet, the same government can rehabilitate repentant Boko Haramists and bandits with billions. Ko si eni to oun see wa, na we dey do ourselves. 

How about the issue of poor funding? Yet, year in year out, the security budget always take the chunk of our budget but when you get to police station, you're requested to buy biro and papers before they take your statement down. Who is spending the allocated money? Maybe snakes like we had with the JAMB MONEY.

Many Governors and important stakeholders have canvassed for State Policing. My question is why is it difficult for the National Assembly and the State assemblies of the Federation to amend the relevant sections of the Constitution to accommodate States Policing? Your guess is as good as men - laziness, fear of unknown, ethnocentrism, and self-centeredness of our leaders. 

The world is moving away from human policing to technology. These our leaders have seen in movies if at all they usually closed their eyes whenever they are joketting the globe in search of nothing. Why are they not doing it, someone will say monetary implications, yet security votes of Governors  continue to increase year in year out. Thank God, Lagos is embracing body cameras for its law enforcement agencies, an initiative which is long overdue. How about streets and highways cameras? Maybe we will have that one in the next decade. How about deployment of drones on our highways and strategic places?

Sometimes  I wonder why the Government cannot made installation of CCTV cameras in homes and offices a compulsory policy for individuals and organizations? No! It's unnecessary since most elected officials go about with security aides. Unfortunately, the reality today is that such aides are proving inadequate. Some weeks ago, the erudite former CBN Governor narrowly escaped death while all his security details were wiped out. 

More importantly, solving the security challenges of the country will go beyond providing security infrastructures but also to include providing some economic measures. It's an over used expression, but it's an ever green cliche- an idle hand is the devil workshop. Youths of this country, occupying about 40% of the population need to be provided with jobs, or at least be given enabling environment to thrive. Otherwise, whatever security apparatus and infrastructures being provided will only be removing the symptoms while the problem will remain deep rooted. 

The truth is no one is immuned from the North to South and East to West, we are only buying time. After all, the First lady was allged to have run for her dear life from Aso Rock for fear of being a victim of insecurities.  May God save and bless our fatherland Nigeria.