Worried by the worsening security challenges in the country, eminent Nigerians, including human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN); former Director of Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor, and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Badewole, at the weekend, brainstormed on how to improve the performance of the Nigeria Police to better secure lives and property of Nigerians at these trying times.
Speaking on the theme: ‘21st Century Policing, Intelligence and Crisis Management, at a conference organised by the Police Eminent Persons Forum (PEPF) in Lagos, Falana submitted that the Nigerian state is “moving inexorably to the precipice.”
He warned that if nothing is done quickly, a “full-blown war” might break out, citing the crises in all parts of the country, especially the declared “war” against members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) in the South-east region.
Referencing the altercation between the government and the agitators, the Lagos-based legal practitioner argued that by virtue of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President could only declare a state of emergency after getting approval of both chambers of the National Assembly on the transmission to them.
He cautioned against dismissing those calling for secession, advising instead that they must be fully engaged as “the duty of government is to talk to them and not to look down on them.”
Falana held that history was deliberately obliterated from the curriculum to weaken the knowledge base of new generations on the chequered journey of the most populous black nation on earth.
On policing the SAN, who deplored the absence of the police hierarchy at the event, maintained that intelligence gathering was key, pointing out that the inappropriate posting of officers was defeating the effort.
Falana canvassed a force that is disposed to the protection of human rights guaranteed by extent legislations like the Anti-torture Act 2017 and the Police Establishment Act 2020.
Meanwhile, in his presentation on ‘Enhancing Police Community Relations’, Ejiofor noted that Nigeria’s persistent security challenges seemed to have defied all solutions, saying: “I chose these words because our country’s security challenges are not insurmountable as it is often presented, but is rather not handled with the seriousness and sincerity that it demands.”
According to him, “Unfolding events have brought to the fore that ridding the society of criminals should not be an isolated effort of the police or security agencies. This and other reasons were fundamental factors that birthed the PEPF initiative in 2016 to complement the foremost Police Community Relations Council (PCRC) at various commands by the force under the leadership of the former Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris.
“Policing is a strategic and tactical venture and therefore demands thoroughness. We often err in Nigeria when we introduce policies that have succeeded in other countries without thinking them through, localisng them to meet indigenous needs and implementing them comprehensively without any form of biases as is done in those countries. It is the lack of thoroughness and manipulative tendencies that cause such failures and not defectiveness of the policy.
In his remarks, Badewole, who recalled that the strength of the police was 152,000 as at 1983, advocated that the 21st force must be just, disciplined and professional in conduct.
Regretting that the institution has performed poorly over the years, the retired soldier stressed that local policing must be able to build confidence in the citizenry in addition to optimal deployment of social media platforms and tools.
He added that the youths must be engaged as eyes and ears of the force in the overall security of the communities.
Earlier, the PEPF Chairman, Alhaji Koleosho Olalekan, harped on urgent taming of the insecurity in the country, adding: “We, the most passionate Nigerians, who believe in the Nigeria Project decided to contribute our quota through this conference, an intellectual discourse that might aid the high-level security management in Lagos command to think outside the box in their efforts to give to Lagosians a crime-free society.”
