It’s not insecurity, it’s unrestrained lawlessness…Practically every Nigerian agrees that government is failing in its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property.
By Eugene Enahoro
Practically every Nigerian agrees that government is failing in its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property. Nigerian lives no longer have value, as hardly a day goes by without reports of mass murder and bloodshed. Especially in the North and Middle Belt.
Senior government officials appear insensitive to the actions of armed gangs who operate with impunity and take life at will. And have turned Nigeria into a nation where life is brutish, nasty and short.
This widespread fear of being murdered is incorrectly referred to as “insecurity” instead of “unrestrained lawlessness”. Which is not limited to acts of criminality alone.
In addition, there is treasonable lawlessness by bandits and insurgents declaring themselves to be in charge of large swathes of the nation. Judicial lawlessness by judges issuing unjust court orders or illogical judgments. Constitutional lawlessness by the executive arm routinely breaching constitutional restraints on their actions. And legislative lawlessness by the National Assembly serially breaching their own rules.
It is ironic that those in charge of the nation’s affairs who do not live by example. And routinely engage in lawlessness for their own personal benefit, still expect others to obey the law.
It has been observed that the second stanza of Nigeria’s resurrected current national anthem states that “our flag shall be a symbol that truth and justice reign”. It’s ironic that Nigerians are expected to place their hands on their hearts and sing those words knowing full well that political lies, judicial injustice and legislative malpractice are now the order of the day.
The routine mass bloodshed in the nation simply reflects an unrestrained lawlessness. Caused by the breakdown of the justice system and selective application of law.
A National Bureau of Statistics report alleges that thousands of deaths by mass murder were recorded last year. And none of the killers were brought to justice. This illustrates the fact that Nigeria is no longer governed by a common rule-book. But now has two legal systems, one for the privileged and protected and another for the rest of us.
Boko Haram killers and terrorists are allowed to repent and be treated with kid gloves. While peaceful, unarmed Shiite protestors were shot and killed!
The end result is that the North has been reduced to a poverty-ridden, blood-soaked killing field of absentee governors who prefer living in luxury and ruling from Abuja, where they are safe!
Since 1999, every annual budget has seen defence and security spending increased. Yet despite always spending more money, government has failed to curb lawlessness.
Concerned Nigerians are proffering their own solutions. Ranging from forming armed vigilante groups bent on revenge, to arming the general populace for self-defense. And for outright warfare or revolution. None of these is advisable.
In democratic nations, citizens expect government to articulate policies to alleviate suffering. Herein lays the Nigerian problem. Government has demonstrated an unwillingness or lack of capacity to curb the actions of marauding gunmen. Instead top government officials have appropriated the police as their personal bodyguards, house-helps, and car door openers.
Public funds are used to purchase luxury aircraft and top-of-the-range SUVs for political office holders rather than increase investment in security architecture
At the top levels of government, there are differing views of what action should be taken. Problematically the Director-General of the Department of State Services has advised communities to arm themselves in the fight against banditry and other forms of armed criminality.
While some accuse him of abdication of duty, the fact is that he was speaking from a position of knowledge of the capacity of security agencies.
Although the primary role of security agencies is to protect lives and property and not shift responsibility to untrained armed citizens, the DG-DSS correctly pointed out that the Nigerian Army, Police, DSS and other security agencies are overwhelmed and cannot be in all places simultaneously. He believes that since security agents are always belatedly called to the scene after murders have been committed, citizens should be allowed to carry weapons for self-defense.
In direct opposition to this school of thought, the National Security Adviser (NSA) pleaded with Nigerians to cease paying ransom to kidnappers. And to keep burying their dead in the belief that one day, somehow, the situation will improve.
He ignores the fact that people pay because they feel abandoned by the state. The reality faced by families is that if they do not pay, then the abducted people will be killed. Ironically, the DSS is under the office of the NSA.
Since government appears not to have an agreed plan, perhaps they should take on-board suggestions that they ban political negotiations with criminal groups. Establish a Tribunal for Terrorism and Banditry to fast track justice for victims and punishment for perpetrators. Establish a Constitutional Court to prosecute and jail political office holders who violate the constitution. And hold the heads of security agencies responsible for failure to apprehend mass killers. Hold the National Assembly leadership accountable for unconstitutionalities. Enforce equal security protocols across the various regions. And create a Victim Restitution and Legal Aid Fund so that survivors of attacks and their families get access to legal representation, psychological support services and financial compensation.
If these reforms are not carried out and top government officials continue to refuse to live by example, then unrestrained lawlessness will ensure that “insecurity” never ends.
First published by Daily Trust