During the past administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, plans were put in place to install surveillance cameras in major cities and towns as a way of boosting security especially in public places. The idea was received in several quarters with mixed feelings, the reason being that it was not the first time the government was embarking on such an initiative that is critical to crime prevention and detection as practised in many advanced countries.
The idea of beefing up close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras was initially mooted a couple of months before the October 1, 2010 bombing in Abuja that claimed the lives of 16 innocent people.
Former commissioner of police in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, the late Haruna John, known to be an expert in CCTV surveillance, who mooted the idea, had promised that functional devices would be installed at strategic locations of the city as a model experiment. Had the promise been kept, it would have perhaps prevented the bomb blasts that marred the nation’s Independence Day celebration in Abuja.
The terrorists that struck on that fateful day must have known our security limitations when they were issuing notices even before the attack. Had good CCTV cameras been in place, the criminals would have been easily detected. Although there were such cameras near the scene of the blasts which were installed by the Obasanjo-led administration, they were not functioning.
Three months after the Independence Day tragedy, another explosion occurred at the Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja, claiming several lives. Reacting to the incident, former President Goodluck Jonathan held an emergency meeting of security chiefs after which two security measures were proposed: mounting CCTV cameras all over the FCT and appointing a special adviser to the president on terrorism.
The importance of CCTV in crime prevention, traffic monitoring, transport safety and more has been recognised the world over. Prison facilities have employed the devices to monitor inmates, while banks and big stores have used same to discourage theft by recording evidence of criminal activities.
When the erstwhile Jonathan administration eventually gave action to the CCTV initiative, the laudable project was consumed by the monstrosity called corruption. About 1,000 surveillance cameras that dotted selected highbrow locations in the FCT, valued at a whopping sum of $430m, which many believed were over-priced, began to malfunction from day one. This was also partly due to the fact that the contract for the supply of the cameras was awarded to crony contractors who lacked the competence to do a perfect job.
When the Buhari administration came on board in 2015, there was a renewed zeal to complement the police efforts in crime prevention and detection using the CCTV cameras. Many security watchers saw it as a welcome development in the belief that the initiative would work this time around. Its availability was believed to be the right step in the right direction as it would also go a long way in preempting criminal activities because these undesirable elements will know they are being watched and thus keep off areas in which they are installed. But surprisingly, more than three years down the road, the administration has not been able to wean itself from the lethargy that afflicted its predecessors.
However, CCTV is not a foolproof way of eliminating crimes in any society. Unless it is protected, the gadgets are vulnerable to illegal tactics. Criminals will deliberately try to destroy it, though some outdoor cameras may have bullet-resisting housing. It bears repeating to state here that government at all levels should take the issue of policing with CCTV very seriously. Various state governments have provided the police with all manner of logistic supports like patrol vehicles. They should go a step further by providing the gadgets which are a sine qua non in crime prevention and detection. Effective policing goes beyond relying on physical methods as it is presently the case in this clime.
The Tinubu administration should lead the way in this regard. In particular, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, which is the eye of the nation, is presently under siege by all manner of criminal elements. We urge the new Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, to key into the CCTV scheme immediately and make the project workable in line with his determination to turn things around for the better in the nation’s seat of government. The measure will serve as a deterrent to criminal elements now swarming across the territory and wreaking havoc on innocent residents without any let or hindrance.
