Last Wednesday, Nigeria’s House of Representatives had a second reading to a bill seeking a legal backing for regional security outfits, some already in existence, and more being glaringly expected to spring up in no distant time. JOSHUA EGBODO writes on likely implications of the legislative instrument
Why we’re here
Many Nigerians have blamed the wave of current agitations for creation of regional security outfits on what they considered as inability of the federal government to offer them security of their lives and property as constitutionally guaranteed, which in that regard, should be the primary purpose of its existence.
From the unfortunate surge in terrorism, farmers and herders incessant clashes crept in, and while the nation battled and sought ways out of them, insecurity graduated from bandits, kidnappers and attacks by unknown gunmen.
While controversies lasted over repeated attacks by suspected Fulani herders across states of the country, the first away-from-the-centre move at halting the massacres came up in Ekiti state, under the then government of Ayo Fayose, which banned open grazing of cattle in all parts of the state.
Flowing from that development, on November 1, 2017, still amidst controversy, the anti open grazing law of Benue state came into effect, with Governor Samuel Ortom describing same as the only panacea for peace.
With the law in place but no power to command enforcement from the Nigeria Police Force, which by practice takes orders from its IG in Abuja, special guards were later to be hurriedly recruited to help in enforcing it.
The worst massacre, according to many analysts, was carried out in Benue by suspected Fulani herders, barely two months after the law was enacted.
Scores of people were killed by the suspects on the eve of the coming new year. Ortom, however, stood his grounds, even in the face of his optimism broken just months after the law took effect.
Away from that, repeated attacks which eye witnesses attributed to Fulani herders became rife in the south west part of the country. The herders, in some of the states, were ordered out of forest reserves from where they were reportedly launching attacks, and retreating into. This too generated a lot of controversy over the constitutional rights of citizens to live and work anywhere in Nigeria.
Amotekun, ESN birthed
While debates on the propriety or otherwise of ordering herdsmen out of forest reserves in the south west region lasted, the Amotekun security outfit was collectively mulled and created by governors of the geopolitical zone, with assurances that its guards would complement the activities of the federal government-owned security troops, especially, in manning flash points from where the suspected herders were launching attacks.
The southeast geopolitical zone was to later follow suit with its own outfit code named; Eastern Security Network (ESN). This, however, appeared not to enjoy the open support of governors from the zone, as many saw same as a military arm of the controversial Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), but yet enjoying the belief and support of many citizens from the area.
With these outfits already in place in addition to community vigilante groups, also for which the National Assembly is working to offer legal recognitIon, and indications suggesting the possible creation of many more, questions on the state of insecurity in the country have been on how Nigeria has gotten to the level where we are today. The answers, many blamed on failure of the system to act when needed, giving room to some measure of distrust and perceived incapacity of the security forces to protect the citizens.
Reps’ intervention
Last Wednesday, the bill sponsored by Oberuakpefe Anthony Eden, a member of the PDP from Delta state, which was intended to give legal backing to the said security outfits scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
Leading debate on its general principles, the lawmaker said, “the beauty of constitutional democracy is that the legislature is saddled with enormous responsibility to continually amend the Constitution to meet the changing needs of the time, hence the 233 years old United State of America constitutional democracy is still witnessing amendments to her Constitution.
“Some of the provisions sought to be injected into the 1999 constitution (as amended) are clear provisions seeking to provide legal backing for the creation of state security outfits as a way of complementing the Nigeria Police Force.
The rampancy and widespread of violent crimes in every nook and cranny of the country has, no doubt, overwhelmed the Nigeria Police as presently structured both in personnel capacity as well as modus operandi”.
He said, “the unabating security challenges make it imperative for the scope of policing to be expanded to make the state governments and councils play defined and more active roles in funding and pooling personnel who are expected to be more knowledgeable about their environment in the key aspect of intelligence gathering and crime bursting other than crimes defined as federal crimes under the proposed new police architecture envisioned in the proposed constitutional amendment”.
While arguing that the upsurge in criminality across the country called for desperate measures to be put in place so as to curtail the mayhem being witnessed in every nook and cranny of the country, he noted; that “the constitution of our country under section 214 has vested exclusively in the Nigeria police the duty of maintaining law and order as well as the protection of lives and property. But the upsurge in crimes of diverse nature and their rampancy in almost every part of the country has birthed various militias and vigilantes whose interventionist roles restored order in many parts of the country where the overwhelmed police proved incapable of discharging their primary responsibility.
“The stark reality of the indispensability of local policing of the polity has continued to lead to the agitation for State Police and or Local Government Police as well as the emergence of various bodies performing the functions of the police force outside the police structure which is not legal or constitutional enough as long as we subscribe to constitutional democracy under the 1999 constitution as amended”.
Though extensive debate was not allowed on the proposal, members unanimously voted in support of its second reading, and same is expected to undergo a public hearing in the shortest possible time.
Where lies state police?
With the gradual moves and desire to create more of these outfits, questions are being asked on why the power at the centre, which in all perceptions had not openly opposed the new trend, on why the safer option of allowing state police as is the case in some developed societies to gain the expected attention.
To many, it was obvious that the current system and structure is apparently overwhelmed, but to them, should the proliferations as the current move is moving toward the best?
Avoiding the self-help option
By all acceptable standards, members of an organised society are never expected to take laws into their hands, no matter the provocation, but to many, the law enforcement agencies at the moment are seemingly unable to address and offer justice to the oppressed. Therefore, seeking alternatives may appear a natural option. In the opinion of such pundits, this may have been the drive behind support for creation of these outfits, as they argue that many are feeling increasingly helpless in view of the ever rising security challenges.
Reps’ Bill to the rescue?
To many analysts, the new move in the House of Representatives may be the beginning of overcoming the state police agitation. In their opinion, while having a legal instrument backing their existence will offer the foundation for later transformation into respective state formations, having policing structure at the state level, at least for a start, would have been the best option.
