President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) appointed AIG Muhammed Abubakar Adamu, as the country’s 20th Inspector General of Police (IGP); the country’s highest-ranked Police Officer on acting capacity on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.
He took over from his predecessor IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris Kutigi who had attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 years. Prior to his appointment, Adamu was an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police posted to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, near Jos, Plateau State as a Directing Staff.
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Under his watch, insecurity is now one of, if not the most glaring and much talked about thing in Nigeria today. Acts of insecurity occur on a daily basis throughout the country. Right thinking and sane Nigerians are really concerned about this ugly trend.
Nigeria which is fast turning into a pressure cooker of insecurity is confronting nationwide, regional and global pressures, such as population explosion, an increased number of people living in absolute poverty, and increasing proliferation of weapons. Crimes ranging from kidnapping, armed banditry, killings, abductions, and of course terrorist attacks constitute the major forms of insecurity we are facing today as Nigerians.
Looking back about some 8 years ago the major security challenges we used to have was the Boko Haram terrorists which invaded the northeastern part of Nigeria via Lake Chad which have been rumoured to have allied with the famous Islamic State Sect (ISIS) supplying them with Logistics, arms, and ammunition, manpower, training and mode of operation.
One of their most notable attacks was the abduction of about 276 innocent schoolgirls in Chibok, and most recently the kidnapping and killing of the CAN President of Adamawa State. This notorious sect which was known to majorly inhabit the North-eastern part of Nigeria (Sambisa forest), especially Maiduguri and Adamawa, has gone ahead to terrorise other parts of the North-Western States in Nigeria namely Katsina, Zamfara, Kano and Kaduna while using the major Forest linking Zamfara through Katsina and Kaduna known as the Rugu Forest as their hideout they portray themselves as Fulani herdsmen. This has been their disguise to perpetuate their evil goals such as kidnapping, cattle rustling, gang-raping, and all sorts of evil vices.
Lately, the major security concern has been that of travelers along the Abuja-Kaduna Express Road there’s been a lot of abductions on that road and the road has been termed to be highly risky for travelers hence the resolution to prefer the railway mode of transportation or the airways for those who can afford.
These armed bandits kidnap innocent travelers and even kill some. Sometimes, when their families fail to pay the high ransoms requested they molest some female and even male prisoners while they are in captivity and this has been a very alarming threat to the security framework of our country.
A lot of things have been found as the causes of insecurity in the country. And they include:
Unemployment: The overwhelming unemployment rate in the country is capable of causing panic. The issue is especially obvious when it comes to Nigerian youths. According to the statistics, every tenth young citizen of the country is officially unemployed. Another statistic provided by the NBS as of 2019 showed that the unemployment rate in the country has risen to 23.1%. If we consider unemployment in Nigeria causes effects and solutions, it is evident that rapid growth in population is a significant cause of this menace.
Also, the recent decline in the country’s economy is another cause. Unfortunately, a lot of people have been laid off, while new jobs are not created.
Corruption: In 2019, Transparency International placed Nigeria on 146th position out of 198 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index with a score of 26 out of 100. Corrupt Nigerian politicians have become a turn off for international investors.
Corruption has already become a part of life in the country as it is found in every single nook and cranny.
Structural Imbalance: Different parts of the country have different speeds of development. Due to this, the country’s oil-rich regions feel disturbed when the Federal Government use their oil and does not develop their society. People of these regions feel cheated because of that. They want to take justice into their hands. That is why they vandalize oil pipelines.
Weak judicial system: The weak judicial system causes insecurity in Nigeria. People feel insecure when criminals and terrorists go free. Many evil-minded people think that money can buy freedom in the country, and unfortunately, the corrupt system proves this line of thought. Rich people can buy their freedom in the country, which the poor masses do not feel secure about. The judicial system in the country should be changed. There may be only one answer to that – transparency.
Open Borders: The country has borders that are poorly guarded. Insurgents from other countries can infiltrate the country with no problem. This situation is especially dangerous in the North East. The Federal Government cannot provide enough troops to secure the borders.
Porous coastal borders are the main cause of terrorism in the country. The Federal Government should increase the number of troops that guard borders. It should also train people to protect their regions from insurgents.
The unfortunate thing is that when people are insecure, it can lead to several other things. Among others, people may find it difficult to trust one another. Professionally, the fear of losing one’s job can take a toll on a person’s mental health, thereby causing social anxiety, negative mood, and some other health-related problems. The problem of insecurity in Nigeria, among other issues, is a significant challenge that leaves many citizens in perpetual fear every day.
IGP Muhammed Abubakar Adamu needs to step up in many ways in order to curb the high rate of insecurity in Nigeria.
He should try to take policing back to the people at the grassroots level through community policing because that seems to be the only option left for resolving security challenges in the country. He should ask state governments to take responsibility by ensuring that they tackle issues that lead to crime like unemployment, education, or issues that require urgent interventions.
The huge chunk of insecurity resolution rests on his shoulders and it is only when he steps upon his duties will there be reasonable results as regards the terrible state of insecurity in the country.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
