State police not a panacea, by Solomon AJADI

Many people, government and groups of people have been talking and calling for state police as panacea to end insecurity in Nigeria. Is this truly the solution to our insecurity in Nigeria? Now tell me how equipped are the Nigeria Federal Police, the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Air Force and the Navy? The boldness and the type of ammunition paraded by the terrorists, the bandits etc, are far more sophisticated than the “sakabula” with which all our security agencies are armed with.

The terrorists are well trained in foreign countries to operate modern day ammunition specifically for their operations. Many times these terrorists go to army barracks, kill our soldiers and seize their ammunitions. If our armed forces can be overpowered and disgraced even in their barracks, then to what extent can the state police be equipped to fight insurgency in their respective states? What magic and support can they get from the states to be able to confront the terrorists and bandits?

I always get annoyed when people and different organisations keep on asking for the establishment of state police to stop the menace of terrorism. Why are government and people always shouting for the establishment of state police as if it will put an end to insecurity problem in our nation? For example, how equipped is our Amotekun, an example of state police or security Network in the Southwest? How well are they equipped to fight insurgency? As much as I do not object to the establishment of state police, we should not see it as panacea of any type to the permanent solution to insurgency in our nation.

We should seek other means and perhaps seek foreign military assistance/intervention from America, France, Russia etc and other powerful nations that can assist in fighting insurgency and put an end to insecurity in Nigeria. We can set up local indigenous security outfits like we used to have in the past. The use of local hunters with charms etc will be of help. Like we heard in Ondo that terrorists immediately they stepped or entered into the town and stepped on the soil of their land they became drowsy and slept off. This way all their ammunitions and weapons etc were seized and they were so captured. This is what we can really rely on and regards as “state police or security” in the Southwest. This is what our forefathers used to defeat the Fulani incursion into our land in the past. A typical example is “Ogun ojaalu in Ogbomosho at Ojaigbo.

So in essence what am saying is that in addition to whatever type of police we may establish, the charms, amulets, onde, isuju, aferi, idako, etc, etc as possessed by our rural farmers should form part of our security device or outfit. These people should be funded and given the support and encouragement they needed and within the shortest time in our own areas, insurgency will be surmounted. In addition, prayers and supplications to the Almighty God is also a sine qua non. May the divine protection of God guide, guard and protect us all IJN.