The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Wednesday said President Muhammadu Buhari should declare a state of emergency on the nation’s security challenges.
The position came three days after the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) carried out protest on the state of the nation’s security.
Specifically, CAN said the sanctity of human lives was no more a rule in Nigeria as people were being killed by kidnappers, terrorists, armed robbers and bandits in various parts of the country.
The protest by the Christian faithful got the ‘nod’ of the federal government which said the protesters were right as they were raising the people’s consciousness of Nigerians on the spate of security challenges.
Adding it voice to the debate, the NSCIA said there was need by the federal government rejig the nation’s security architecture and inspire confidence in the people.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, NSCIA Director of Administration Yusuf Nwoha said: “Let the monster of insecurity be tackled actively and proactively with the full weight of Nigeria’s security and defence capabilities.”
Yusuf reiterated that the activities of Boko Haram insurgents were completely not in tandem with the principles and teachings of Islam.
“We want to state in unequivocal terms that Boko Haram does not represent Islam or Muslims,” the NSCIA further said.
While also reiterating the need for the federal government to act decisively by declaring a state of emergency on insecurity, it urged that: “The federal government should deploy all the military arsenals at its disposal to arrest the trend for the interest of lives and properties of the citizens.
“We also urge the federal government to review and reinvent its security architecture by injecting more vim into security operations all over the country without delay.”
‘People‘re dying’
Meanwhile, Speaker House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila has charged heads of Nigeria’s security agencies to up their games in the drive towards addressing the lingering security challenges facing the country.
The speaker said Nigerians were on the necks of their representatives in the House over the security situation in the country.
While noting that the service chiefs were doing a lot, the lawmaker said the anxiety among Nigerians was enough reason for the military commanders to redouble their efforts, challenging them to take the battle to the criminals.
The two arms of the National Assembly had last Wednesday called on President Muhammdu Buhari to sack the current service chiefs.
Speaking at a meeting of the joint House Committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force with the Chief of Defence Staff General Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff Lt.-General Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas and the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the speaker said: “I thought I should be here to encourage everybody that we’re all on the same page. We all know the situation in Nigeria today, we can’t hide from it, we can’t shy away from it, we cannot pretend that it doesn’t exist.
“We spent practically the whole day on Wednesday (January 29) discussing the security situation in Nigeria as expected. Simultaneously, the Senate was doing the same thing without us comparing notes.
“So, it was a natural reaction to what was going on in the country today. Back home, our constituents are on our necks. People are dying every day; they are dying callously in ways that you can only find in countries without security forces. But we know that you guys are doing a lot”.
He said as a country, “”we must think outside the box; we must take the battle to these criminals whatever they are. Like I said at the State House the other day, Nigerians are anxious, but I do understand the limitations of the Armed Forces.”
Addressing the meeting which later held behind closed doors, the speaker said: “I believe the committee is well equipped to handle these issues. This is our priority. It’s the government’s priority, and it should also be our priority in the House. It’s major in our legislative agenda, and we must address is frontally, squarely and however and whatever needs to be done.”
Amotekun gets boost
Also, the Operation Amotekun, a security outfit initiated by the south-west governors may have received a major boost Wednesday with the Senate and the Police agreeing to work out the right template for the implementation of community policing.
The Senate invited Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu to brief the lawmakers on the security agency’s “concept and implementation modalities of community policing policy” in arresting the nation’s deplorable state of security.
Answering questions from journalists after about four hours of closed door session with the Senate, IGP Adamu said community policing is the way out of the persistent security challenge across the country.
He said: “I appeared before the Senate and briefed them on the concept of community policing. If you can remember, last year we sensitised the country on the need to adapt community policing in the country and the concept is to give policing back to the community.
“Let the community take the initiative in identifying the problems that are there that can lead to the commission of crime and then we work with the community to solve the crime.
“We believe that everybody comes from a community and the community is a community you know who and who is there. Taking policing back to the community will help in reducing crime to the barest minimum.
“So, I have explained the concept of community policing to the Senate which involves partnership with communities and there are various communities. You can have traditional institutions as a community; you can have the National Union of Road Transport Workers as a community. You can have the media as a community and various communities that you can have partnership with.
“If you are talking about partnership, we are talking about problem solving. We need to solve problems that evolve in the community. What we mean here is that we scan the community to find out what are the indices that can lead to the commission of crime or a crime that has been committed already.
“Security issues are fluid or dynamic. At a stage where you have a rise in crimes, we re-strategise and deal with them and everywhere will be stabilised. And for a period of time you will see stability in crime situation.
“But at a stage, you will see the criminals re-strategising and coming out to commit crime. What we are saying, especially with the concept of community policing is that fighting crime should not be left to law enforcement agencies alone. It should not be left to security personnel alone. Everybody should be involved.
“All tiers of government need to collaborate on this concept of community policing and in doing this, state governors, local government chairmen should take up their responsibilities in terms of making their communities unfriendly to criminals.
“People that are committing these crimes have reasons for doing so. If it is lack of employment, if it is lack of education or those issues that will require intervention by the government, the state governor should take responsibility. Local government chairmen should take responsibility. Not that everything will be left to security agencies alone.”
In his remarks after the session, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said : “ The IG answered questions bordering on national security challenges- banditry, assaults on our major roads across the country, illegal circulation of fire arms and efforts on encouraging synergy between the federal and states governments from distinguished senators.
“The Senate thereafter resolved to support the Nigeria Police through legislative interventions.”
