New police boss and Nigeria’s security challenges

Mohammed Abubakar, Nigeria Acting IG of police

The emergence of Mohammed Dikko Abubakar as Nigeria's new Inspector- General of Police (IGP) came at a time when the country is inundated with a plethora of security challenges that are threatening its sovereignty and the peaceful coexistence of its people. Apart from the ubiquitous and incessant terrorist attacks by the Boko Haram sect, Nigeria is currently besieged by rising crime, kidnapping, swindling cyber fraud, etc., among other nefarious acts that have continued to damage the image of the country.

These challenges have also exposed the inefficiency of Nigeria Police Force which lacks the training to combat contemporary security threats. In recent times, dare devil robbers and terrorists take their battles to the doorstep of the police and escape with ease after their deadly attacks. The Boko Haram attack on the Force Headquarters in Abuja last year and the recent mayhem members of the same sect unleashed on a Kano police station really testify to the calibre of police the country now has and the dire need to overhaul the entire police apparatus and equip the rank and file with training on modern policing.

Last Wednesday, the former IGP, Hafiz Rigim, was forced to resign, even when his official retirement was slated for March. Rigim's undoing, no doubt, was his inability to arrest the increasing menace of Boko Haram, as members of the sect are unrelenting in their resolve to thoroughly embarrass the President Goodluck Jonathan administration. The entire citizenry has gotten to a stage where self help is sought by many, while others seem to be helpless and are at the mercy of the sect.

For Rigim, the straw that broke the camel's back was the escape of Kabir Sokoto; the suspected mastermind of the Christmas Day church bombing at Madalla, Niger State and the well coordinated Boko Haram attack penultimate Friday that resulted in the death of about 200 people in Kano. The Acting IGP has so much to contend with, and needs to gain upper hand quickly in the fight ahead. Moles in the force would likely be his first battle, as they may want him to fail like his predecessor.

To gain public confidence and trust, Abubakar may need to clear himself of the public apprehension that he is a religious fanatic, a tag that was clearly stated in a White Paper report made public by the Justice Niki Tobi led panel on Jos crisis in 2001. In that report, Abubakar was indicted and recommended for retirement. Part of it reads: "Religious fanatics should not be posted to head state police commands. The commission recommends that for his ignoble role during the September 2001 crisis which resulted in the loss of lives, the former Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, Alhaji M.D. Abubakar, be advised to retire from the Nigeria Police Force and in the event of his refusal to do so, he should be dismissed from the service." The new police boss should learn from the mistakes of his immediate predecessor.

For in some quarters, it has been alleged that the escape of Sokoto was as a result of connivance and 'special arrangement' by some top brass of the police high command. Therefore, Abubakar must act differently if he wants to perform well. The new IGP'S promise last Thursday during the handover of baton, when he said he would act differently, is a first step in the right direction. Nevertheless, he should know that the security challenges at hand should be urgently tackled, to stop the mounting death tolls and destruction of more lives and properties by terrorists and other criminals.

The Nigerian government also needs to adopt a broader and collaborative approach in the fight against terrorism. Recent reports have explicitly linked the Boko Haram group with the Middle East, Al-Qaeda and Somali's al Shabaab militants. Nigerien Foreign Minister, Mohamed Bazoum, said last week that there was evidence that the sect received explosives and training at al Qaeda camps in North Africa's Sahel region, while another faction of the sect went for training with the Somali al Shabaab. Besides, a United Nations report said the Libyan war might have created a proliferation of small arms that are handed over to groups like Boko Haram.

The Federal Government needs to join forces with neighbouring African nations to plug all loopholes, including the passage of arms and the training of members of the Boko Haram sect and insurgents. That government keeps reiterating that Boko Haram should make their intentions known is somewhat ludicrous.

The group has conspicuously made their mission and intentions known, going by the name they chose for themselves. The amnesty programme with militants in the Niger Delta is a success because the agitation of the group was more on neglect and deprivation. The situation with Boko Haram is quite different. Just like their al Shabaab counterparts in Somalia, they are agitating for a complete Islamist state. If the government is prepared to secede part of the country as sacrifice for peace, then let the dialoguing begin.