Matilda Omonaiye/
Retired Commissioner of Police (CP), Dr Olayinka Balogun, has offered tips on how to keep Nigeria safe and secure.
Balogun, who had served as CP in Edo, Ekiti, and the Special Fraud Unit among other national assignments, told NewsmakersNG how Nigerians have been firing blanks, stereotyping criminals instead of facing the real issues as he called for the urgent recruitment of 500, 000 policemen from higher institutions and adequate financial support from the government, and the people.
He said, “Crime and criminals should have no colour or colouration. Let’s leave out the colour or tribe of the criminal. Let’s mobilize and deal with him decisively. A Fulani thief is a criminal. A Yoruba thief is a criminal. Why waste our time on name tags. Let our security agencies deal ruthlessly with them. Enough of this demonstration of lame excuses. Crime is a crime. The perpetrator is secondary. Let’s arrest the criminal first and find out later if he is Fulani or Yoruba. No more no less.
“There is a big, frightening security problem in the land, i.e. South West, but the solution is not rallies, meetings where verbal vituperations and sabre rattling are exhibited. Let’s take concrete, result-oriented action.
“There are Police Commands and Formations in the South West, i.e. Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti. We may add Kwara. Let’s not antagonize or trade blame. Rather, let’s immediately raise good money and buy equipment for these Commands, i.e. Armored Vehicles, Patrol Cars, Canisters. Body Armor etc. Specifically for the purposes of supporting police current onslaught on these criminals.
“We can tell the recipient commissioners that the equipment is specifically donated to fight the kidnappers and armed robbers. We can thereafter mount a massive Information and Security Alert Propaganda on the issue. Without concrete action, we may not achieve much. Let elders from the zone start now to tax responsible adults to bring out good money for the purpose of securing our country home.”
Balogun also spoke on justice and the courts.
He said, “Our Magistrate Courts are too limited in scope. Let’s expand their jurisdiction so they can adjudicate on serious criminal matters like murder, armed robbery, kidnapping etc. This handicap is keeping millions of innocent Nigerians in detention awaiting trial. Senior lawyers, including SANs, can then appear there and take up matters. Take note that most of the Magistrates have been on the Bench for 15 to 20 years.
“Let’s take prosecution away from the Police. There are many young and experienced lawyers outside who can be employed for this. The police should only investigate and come to Court later to give evidence as witnesses. Let’s create more Magistrate Courts and empower them. Some of them can even be made to sit on weekends as Special Courts. Retired, but active and not tired Judges and Magistrates are available for quick and continuous dispensation of Justice. These steps will not only drastically unbundle delivery of justice and protect human rights, but they will create the much needed auxiliary and incidental millions of employment opportunities in the country.”
On the setting up of emergency security architecture, he said, “Let’s go the whole hog. Let’s seize the opportunity of the current security challenges and take the following drastic steps: One, let the Federal Government meet the NASS and demand huge emergency security fund. Two, let’s commence immediate recruitment of 500 000 policemen; let’s start the simultaneous and massive renovation of Police Training Institutions nationwide; let’s ask University/Polytechnic and Allied Tertiary Institution graduates to enlist as Constables with the Prospects of becoming Sergeants in three years, Inspectors in six years and ASP in I0 years. They will readily jump at it especially the many idle ones.
“They can also form the first layer of the Community Policing Programme. With all these activities going on, insecurity would be drastically reduced and Youth unemployment would have also been reduced to the barest minimum. Nigeria would have killed many proverbial birds with one stone. It is time for Security Action, not Security Summits or Seminars. All we need is the political will. After all, what’s better than security?”
On State Police in Nigeria, he said, “State Police is a sine qua non to fighting local crimes. Not all states can start at the same time. Some states are ready and capable. Let them start off. A better and secured environment will give birth to better trade and commercial activities. Improved and secured commercial environment will generate more revenue for states to pay and maintain additional security apparatus like state police. They are mutually inclusive solutions. Let s allow states that are ready to take the plunge to do so. That’s Federalism in its real sense. We should not hold down horses that are ready to race on. Let good reason prevail.
“We must stop blaming God and Religion and some irrelevant factors. God will never help those who would not help themselves.”
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