The last week brought in its wake reports of a stream of disorder across the country. Events that should be alien to good and secure living were reported one day after the order. We begin from Jos, the stormy town that has not known peace for many years.A soldier attached to the Special Task Force charged with bringing order and security to Plateau state Sergeant Baba Wuya, was killed by unknown persons. His rifle was taken away by his murderer or murderers. Disturbing and irresponsible, no doubt. If it was a policeman that was killed, it would still have been condemnable but the society would at least take refuge in the assurance that soldiers would be called out to deal with the situation if the police was unable to restore order. Now that soldiers have become prey to disorder, who shall we call to restore order' The murder of that soldier is symbolic; it is a signal to President Jonathan and his security team that the feuding parties in Plateau state are getting close to the point of total war. They are willing to take on the military after many months of complaints about biased handling of security efforts by the task force. The response of the STF to the murder of its man has also not helped matters at all. Indiscriminate arrest of people from their homes culminating in the murder of the ward head of Ali Kazaure area of Jos, Alhaji Ahmadu Kazaure and other unconfirmed persons, was hardly the appropriate response to this serious development. The STF could only have succeeded in pitting itself against the people of Jos. That is dangerous, even to its officers and men. A newspaper report of the narration of an affected resident, Dr Isa Modibbo, says 'they used their gun butts and their boots to break our doors while we were sleeping. Women and children and the aged were dragged out of bed and asked to lie down on our street. Even children aged seven were arrested. They put us inside a Hilux vehicle putting us on top of each other'. No society where law and order is firmly established should witness such a lawless retaliation of a crime. It was reminiscent of the response of American soldiers in Iraq to the killing of an American soldier by hostile Iraqis. But these are Nigerian soldiers against Nigerian citizens. Not even an army of occupation could have done worse. Criminals should be apprehended and punished, yes, but not by this kind of German Gestapo-like invasion and brutalisation of the innocent in the search of the guilty. That makes Nigeria a lawless society. In the week was also the report of the bombing of the Mobile Police barracks in Kwame, Gombe state. Three persons were killed and arms and ammunition carted away. Police Commissioner Orubebe Ebikeme confirmed that unexploded bombs littered the barracks. We are not talking here about a police station but police barracks, where presumably hundreds of policemen live and where a well stocked police armoury will be sited. That such a place could be cheaply invaded like an unguarded poultry farm, is an embarrassment to anyone who has anything to do with security in Nigeria. What greater alert to security consciousness do the police want after the bombing of the United Nations building and the incessant Boko Haram bomb shows across the northeast of the country' What would it take to tighten security seriously at all strategic points, invasion of Aso Rock' There is massive disorder in the police; as Nigeria burns with bombs and crisis, they fiddle with their N50 notes at their toll gates. So...so tragic. As the police demonstrate this absolute incapacity to protect even their own property and lives, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Parry Osayande, told the Senate Committee on Police Affairs that of the 330,000 policemen in Nigeria, 100,000 are assigned to Individuals for their protection; leaving about 150 million Nigerians with 230,000 policemen. That is one policeman to protect more than 600 people. Even if all the 100,000 on special 'handbag carrying postings', according to Osayande are recalled to strict police duties, that still leaves us with one policeman to about 500 Nigerians. Not reassuring by world standards of one policeman to 100 people; properly equipped, trained and not distracted by N50 collection from motorists for that matter. But to whom is Osayande whining' Is he not the Chairman of the Police Service Commission' Who is stopping him from recalling the 100,000 in extra police duties' But let him and the members of the Senate Police Affairs committee set the tone of the reforms by giving up their own police orderlies. Let the Senate President and leaders give up their large retinue of policemen that have formed their status symbol. Let the governors and sundry government officials who have pocketed many policemen give them up. But Osayande should remember that the reason this situation exists is the inability of the police to effectively protect all Nigerians. Some, realising the helplessness of the police, decided to use their money or their positions to buy protection for themselves from the police; leaving other Nigerians to their own devices. The thinking is that 'all Nigerians are at risk but some are at greater risk than others'. The affirmation that God created them equal certainly does not hold in Nigeria. It is not surprising that these scenarios of disorder have prompted countries that care about the welfare of their citizens to warn them about coming to Nigeria or doing business in Nigeria. If President Jonathan does not quickly roll up his sleeves and address this festering insecurity in the country, Nigeria might soon become an economic leper in the world. Which businessman will bring his money into Nigeria in the face of the travel advisories of the United States and important European countries' The US warning says 'The US Department of State warns US citizens of the risk of travelling to Nigeria and continues to recommend US citizens continue to avoid all but essential travel to the Niger Delta states of Abia, Edo, Imo; the city of Jos in Plateau state, Bauchi and Borno states in the north-east and the Gulf of Guinea, because of the risks of kidnapping, robbery and other armed attacks in these areas'. Britain on its part says, 'we advise against all but essential travel to Abia state, Bauchi state and to Jos and its surrounding areas. We advise against all travel to some other areas of Nigeria'. Australia warned its citizens last week thus: 'We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Nigeria at this time due to the very high threat of terrorist attack, the high risk of kidnapping, the unpredictable security situation, the heightened risk of violent civil unrest and the high level of violent crime. If you do decide to travel to Nigeria, you should exercise extreme caution. The security situation could deteriorate without warning and you could be caught up in violence directed at others'. Canada follows suit by declaring, 'Canada advises against non essential travel to Nigeria. The security situation is unpredictable and there is a significant risk of crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks, banditry and kidnappings. There is a high threat of domestic terrorism in some states of Nigeria.' Can anyone in Nigeria claim that these countries have no reason to worry and advise their citizens as they have done. Nigerians outside the country are reluctant to come home because of the stories of insecurity. Yet government goes on as if all is well. There is little that anybody sees being done to improve the situation. On a regular basis, my sleep is interrupted at night by gunfire of robbers or night guards trying to scare them away. Many young boys and girls of a private university in the south-west were traumatised recently when armed robbers invaded banks located within or adjacent to the campus. Many of them will permanently live with that experience. Stories of bank robberies and the use of explosives to blast steel doors no longer receive prominence in newspapers. They have become commonplace. The country is gradually sliding into anarchy. For how long will things continue like this in Nigeria' Many of our young people have never seen a safe and secure environment. They were born into insecurity and insecurity they have known all their lives. I don't know where President Jonathan grew up, but I grew up in Ibadan. I am only two or three years older than the President, so he must know this scenario I am about to paint. During my secondary school days, we took time to go to the movies at Scala or Odeon cinema. The shows ended between 11pm and midnight. On one occasion I walked my female friend to her home at Molete from Scala cinema, a distance of about eight kilometres; I thereafter found my way back to Apata by taxi at about 1am. There were street lights everywhere and the thought of a robbery attack or harm in whatever form was thoroughly alien to the peace of that time. This is the same country and the same people forty years later. I want to believe that the fresh breath that Jonathan promised us is a return to those days of peace. Things are getting worse instead of getting better. When is the fresh breath going to blow
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