Tuesday, August 17, 2021 3:15 pm
TheNEWS cover design on insecurity
But the biggest bloodbath for the day was in Imo State where Nigerian security forces killed at least 11 gunmen suspected to be members of IPOB. Available information indicated that the slain gunmen who were traveling in a convoy of ‘stolen vehicles’ were intercepted on their way to attack some police stations.
Insecurity
To check the activities of the ‘gunmen’ the governors of the Southeast had imposed dusk to dawn curfew on some communities. On its part, Governor Wike had imposed 10pm to 6am curfew all over the state till further notice in order to stop ‘faceless criminals’ planning to unleash deadly actions on the state.
Owerri attack
In the Southwest, kidnappers have continued to make life hell for the people. Just as the killings of security operatives were ongoing there were also reports of abduction of a police officer and three civilians in Ogun State.
Silhouette of gunmen
At a point the Governor of Niger, Abubakar Bello raised alarm that Boko Haram had joined the bandits killing, maiming and displacing people from the farms and settlements in different parts of the State.
Boko Haram members
Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation
But the people living in Abuja have also not been spared of the agony over their safety like other parts of the country despite its status as the seat of the Federal Government. Before now, bandits who have made life hell for the states bordering Abuja have also been involved in mass abductions of people in communities like Abaji, Gwagwalada, Kpegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others.
While most of the students have been released after payment of ransoms, the developments have resulted in closure of hundreds of schools in the affected areas. In Kaduna, while there were celebrations of the release of Afaka students, parents of 14 students abducted from Greenfield University were still in agony over the fate of their wards.
File photo: Sheikh Gumi (in white robe) meets some Bandits
Father Mbaka, ministering at Adoration Ground
Also, Ejika Mbaka, a reverend father and former supporter of the President had asked Buhari to resign or be removed from office over the state of insecurity in the country. On its part, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had warned that the 2023 general election might not hold because of the pervasive state of insecurity in the country. “Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear. We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports. We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country,” Chairman of PDP, UcheSecondus said during a recent press conference in Abuja.
However, the Presidency had insisted that though he may not be speaking directly to Nigerians, Buhari is concerned by acts of violence going on around the country and will take appropriate action on them in accordance to his constitutional mandate.
President Muhammadu Buhari
Insecurity: What Buhari Should Do
Femi Falana
No doubt, many nationality groups have called for the bulkanization of the country, others have called for restructuring or power devotion. Out of frustration, young people are leaving the country, declaring for asylum abroad. Many even risk their lives by travelling to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. Thousands have teamed up with terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers to wreck havoc on the society. In view of worsening insecurity in the country there has arisen the urgent need to recruit more police personnel, train and motivate them to handle the challenge of internal security. President Buhari owes it a constitutional duty to halt the reckless killing of unarmed citizens by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and other hardened criminals.
Femi Falana
You have also defended some cops. What do you say to that?
Mr Femi Falana
Femi Falana
The most serious aspect of security, social security is not seriously addressed by the government. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics there are over 11 million unemployed young people in Nigeria. More tertiary institutions are being established by the Federal and State governments as well as private individuals without addressing the creation of job opportunities for them. In recent times, many unemployed graduates have been attracted to all manners of crimes including kidnapping and other violent crimes. In addition to the growing army of unemployed people not less than 14 million out of school children roam the street. We have the highest figure of out of school children in the world. The governments are not addressing the crisis even though terrorists and bandits recruit from the multitude of street boys and girls. Not surprisingly, the northern states that have refused to adopt the Child’s Rights Act are now bed of terrorists and terrorism. 25 out of the 36 states have adopted and enacted Child’s Rights law. The 11 states that have failed to adopt the law are hotspots of terrorism and banditry. I have called on the national assembly to amend the Universal Basic Education Act to allow the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to remove children from the street and enroll them in schools in view of the reluctance of state governments to address the crisis.
Femi Falana
It is common knowledge that Mr. NnamdiKanu who was standing trial for treasonable felony in the Federal High Court had jumped bail and fled to the United Kingdom. The Federal Government did not hide the fact that Mr. Kanu was wanted in Nigeria for his trial and in addition to defend other grave criminal offences allegedly committed against Nigeria by him from his base in London. Last month, the Federal Government accused Twitter of colluding with Mr. Kanu to cause mayhem in the South East region. On that occasion I had suggested to the Federal Government to embark on the extradition of Mr. Kanu in a court in the United Kingdom instead of punishing all Twitter subscribers in Nigeria. However, to the consternation of the Nigerian people the Federal Government recently announced that Mr. Kanu had been intercepted and brought to Nigeria through the collaborative efforts of the security agencies in Nigeria and the International Police (Interpol). He has since been dragged before the Federal High Court which ordered his detention in the custody of the State Security Service. It is pertinent to state that the Interpol does not engage in the deportation of any criminal suspect to any country whatsoever. Interpol may issue red notices for fugitives that are wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence in a particular country. A red notice issued by Interpol is a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. Once the fugitive is arrested Interpol is not involved in the extradition of a suspect or fugitive to the country where he or she is wanted for prosecution. In the instant case, there is no evidence that Interpol issued a red notice for the arrest of Kanu in the United Kingdom or in Kenya. Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. IfeanyiEjiofor has disclosed that his client was abducted in Kenya and detained for 8 days before his deportation to Nigeria. Since there is an extradition treaty between Nigeria and Kenya the Federal Government ought to have acted under the rule of law by submitting a request for the extradition of Mr. Kanu. Upon the receipt of the request the Government of Kenya would have filed an application before a Magistrate Court in Nairobi pursuant to the Extradition Act of that country. But instead of demonstrating fidelity in the rule of law by approaching its own domestic court to make appropriate orders the Government of Kenya decided to breach the fundamental rights of Kanu to personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement by arresting and detaining him without trial before deportating him to Nigeria with the connivance of the Federal Government.Kanu has dragged the governments of Nigeria and Kenya to the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in Banjul in The Gambia to justify his deportation from Kenya.
Femi Falana
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