Insecurity: Nigerian Lawmakers Love To Weep At Plenary But That Won’t Solve The Problem

Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, said last week that the security situation in the country has significantly stabilized. This is despite massive killings and abductions in various parts of the country.

For security experts, Alkali was probably playing to the gallery when he emphasised that the existing cases of insecurity were “isolated cases of crime and threats to public safety, peace and security in some parts of the country.”

However, media reports in the few months revealed that insecurity appears to be worsening with more cases of wanton killings and abductions by non-state actors. Hardly is there a day without reports of killings, kidnappings, and other forms of criminal activities in all six geopolitical zones of the country.

Apart from Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency in the Northeast, terrorists, locally called bandits are terrorising the Northwest. Sadly, the situation is not different in Southern Nigeria as terror groups’ activities remain unabated.

In cases where innocent citizens are killed, their properties are destroyed, leaving tales of anguish on the lips of their loved ones.

“Insecurity is not unique to Nigeria but the situation is worse here because authorities lack the will to take action,” Timothy Avele, a security expert and Group Managing Director at Agent-X Security Group said

He stressed that as the situation gets worse, the security apparati appears overwhelmed, citing the Southeast region of Nigeria as a case study.

“Happenings in the southeast shows that even security operatives are overwhelmed as residents prefer to obey IPOB orders than they respect authority’s directive. We are in a big mess in every part of the country.”

*Weeping lawmakers*

As Nigerians continue to lose their loved ones and properties to worsening security challenges, their representatives at the Senate, House of Representatives, and States House of Assembly are responding with tears.

The Nigerian Senate on April 27, 2021 had a deliberation on the worsening security situation across the nation and Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi West) was moved to tears while contributing to the debate.

“Insecurity is a serious problem in Nigeria. There comes a time where we cannot but speak the truth irrespective of sentiments…We need not run away from the fact that more than ever before in the history of our nation, this is the worst instability we are facing. In fact, this is worse than the civil war,” he cried.

After minutes of crying before the camera, Adeyemi urged the federal government to call for international community support.

“Every part of this country is not safe–from North to South. Nobody is safe. Nobody can travel 50 kilometers in our nation. I feel like shedding tears for a country that we grew up in where nobody harasses you when you travel from Lagos to Maiduguri. Today, I cannot travel from here to Kaduna or Niger State where I was born,” he lamented.

He concluded by saying, “let’s shut down the National Assembly if we cannot save this country, we stay in our homes. Our country is bleeding. People are in poverty. There’s no food. People are hungry. Insecurity is threatening us.”

Kogi West seems to be lucky to have representatives who are always audible before the camera, because like Adeyemi, his predecessor, Dino Melaye almost cried over the same situation in 2019.

Two lawmakers from President Muhammadu Buhari’s state, on Aug. 23, 2021, wept openly over the attacks in communities across Katsina.

Haruna Goma, a lawmaker representing Dandume constituency, burst into tears while narrating the killing in his constituency as he urged the government to come to the aid of the affected communities.

Similarly, Abubakar Mohammed, member representing Funtua constituency, also wept as he narrated how terrorists attacked communities daily over the past month, killing scores and kidnapping many.

*Other lamentations*

Aside from those weeping before the camera, lamenting over insecurity is fast becoming the order of the day at plenary.

In May 2019, a lawmaker representing Niger State at the House of Representatives, Adamu Chika, expressed worries about persistent cases of insecurity in the country, saying he was scared of going to his hometown because of ‘bandits.’

A Member of the House of Representatives from Kaduna State, Honourable Yakubu Umar Barde, also cried out at the plenary on Jul. 9, 2021 that his constituents are at the mercy of ‘bandits’ and kidnappers.

Four months ago, a lawmaker representing Obokun state constituency at Osun State House of Assembly, Adewumi Adeyemi, lamented over the collapsing state of security architecture in the nation and expressed his worries over the inability of security forces to guarantee Nigerians’ safety.

“The more these lawmakers weep or lament, the more killings and abductions increase on a weekly basis, hence, no amount of cry can save Nigerians from the current situation except through proper action,” Tunde Oyadokun, another security expert said.

He argued that insecurity may not end unless the government stops depriving people of basic needs.

*Action louder than cries, lamentations*

Public affairs analysts and social commentators have said crying before the camera during plenary sessions won’t solve the problem.

In his submission, Onuoha Ukeh said it is not enough for lawmakers to cry or lament, instead they need to take actions that would help in fighting insecurity.

“It is not enough to ask President Buhari to declare a state of emergency. If the President does declare a state of emergency on security, what would change? It would just be mere talk. The fact is that our security personnel have been overstretched and are becoming overwhelmed. We do not have the number in the security apparatuses to do much more than we are doing. There is no way a country of 200 million population can fight crime successfully with less than 400,000 policemen.

“The Senate, nay the National Assembly, can help in raising the population of policemen in the country by using the instrumentality of the law to cause the implementation of state police. I feel strongly that state police would help Nigeria in tackling insecurity. The self-help that geopolitical zones are trying to evolve, with the establishment of such outfits as Ametokun in the South-West, should serve as a precursor to state police. An effective amendment of the Constitution to empower state police would go a long way in tackling insecurity in the country.”

For former Director of Military Intelligence, Brig-General Ibrahim Sabo (rtd), the government can get rid of insecurity if it enlists the support of ethnic nationalities in the country.

“Insurgency, militancy and other forms of uprisings or group protests against constituted authorities occur most of the time because peaceful and genuine aspirations of groups of people are disregarded over long periods,” Sabo said.

Earlier this year, former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Usman Yusuf, advocated a non-military solution to battle the insecurity bedeviling the country.

“Though the military could be used to maintain peace and curtail the activities of criminals, ending the threats by banditry, Boko Haram and groups like IPOB and OPC would not require military solution.”

He said only genuine and properly negotiated reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reparations could end the conflict and bring lasting peace to the country.

Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Bolaji Owasanoye, on his part believes that corruption is the most potent factor responsible for national security challenges in the country today.

“Corruption is Nigeria’s greatest challenge and a singular push factor of national security challenges, the expansion of poverty, the reduction of life expectancy, the high mortality rate we suffer, and the deteriorated livelihood experienced by our citizens.

“Through legislation, appropriation, investigation, oversight, and the scrutiny of public accounts, the legislature implements a very crucial fundamental objective in fighting corruption of power, and also by doing so it prevents the drift into the kind of insecurity that we have found ourselves in,” he said.