In the face of the current security situation in Nigeria and that of Imo state to be specific, it is important for us as a group, Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Organisations, to lend our voice and to let the world know of the actions and inactions of some elements within the police that are constituting themselves as threat to the citizens of this country.
On May 30, 2021, Honourable Ahmed Gulak, an illustrious son of Adamawa state, was assassinated in Owerri, Imo state by men of the underworld.
Nigerians, especially those from the northern part of the country, are still reeling from the pain of losing such an illustrious son, whose participation in nation building cannot be overemphasised, especially at this critical time that Nigeria needs all the uniting forces it can garner to overcome its myriad of challenges.
The situation in Imo state was further compounded by the Gestapo style of some police officers that invaded an Anglican Church during a service in an acclaimed bid to arrest Chief Uche Nwosu, former governorship aspirant in the state.
These elements did not just invade the church, but they did while fully masked just like the popular unknown gunmen that we have in the state. These elements had nothing to identify or differentiate them from criminal elements as they were neither in uniform nor having any form or means of identification on them to prove they were security agents as required by operating standards all over the world.
Eye witnesses had no option than to conclude that Chief Nwosu had been kidnapped because they could not point to anything tangible or evidential to identify his abductors as security agents.
This scenario filtered the mainstream and social media for several hours before a counter statement by Imo State Police Command that what actually happened in the Anglican Church was not a kidnap but an arrest.
The long period that it took the spokesperson of the command to talk to Nigerians especially family, friends and associates of Chief Nwosu on what actually transpired is a pointer to the fact that there is a breach of professional conduct in his arrest and that there is a wide communication gap among police hierarchy in Imo state, hence the need for discipline and stringent punitive measures to serve as deterrent and rekindle the faith and trust of the citizens in the efforts of the police and our security agencies in tackling the menace of insecurity in Imo state and Nigeria as a whole.
So, we are calling on the Inspector General of police to look into the two devastating scenarios that happened in Imo state as we have mentioned.
Our prayers, therefore, are that the true identity of those that assassinated Ahmed Gulak should be revealed including their sponsors and their motives, because report confirms that Gulak was not the only occupant of the vehicle when he was assassinated; that the identity of those behind unknown gunmen should be revealed to Nigerians to help take precautions.
We urge that adequate sanctions should be meted out to those that had anything to do with this ugly situation no matter how little their participation maybe.
In the case of Uche Nwosu’s abduction we urge that the motive behind the abduction be made public to Nigerians; that those who sanctioned the operation be identified whether within the police hierarchy or among notable politicians and that the armed men that invaded the church be unmasked and adequate sanctions be meted out to them, having engaged themselves or allowed themselves to be used illegally and to break professional ethics as stipulated in The Nigeria Police Act 2020.
These actions, if considered by the Inspector General of Police, will go a long way in stemming future occurrences of this nature of unnecessary scandals, and also gain the support of the citizens for the police in the fight against insecurity.
Dr Haruna Jagindi, and Amb. Danjuma Shetima,Convener and Secretary General,Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Organisations
