A civic populace, and a disciplined military, can avert innocent victims of brazen outlawry
The stern face of the modern state is law and order. But beneath that foreboding face is fairness and justice, twin concepts that gift the state the power to punish outlawry. The police, the military and other members of the disciplined forces are the teeth to enforce the lawful coercion of the state.
So, if anyone kills a policeman or a soldier or even any member of the other disciplined forces, such a person rudely challenges the coercive majesty of the state. It is often met with stiff and tragic consequences.
Odi, Bayelsa (1999) and Zaki Biam, Benue (2007), were two unfortunate but prime examples, where many innocent locals paid a stern price for the transgression of a few criminals, who killed policemen and soldiers.
The ghost of Odi and Zaki Biam seems to be haunting Ogbogbobane, near Bomadi, in BurutuLocal Government Area of Delta State, where some “militants” are alleged to have killed a soldier, thus earning the wrath of the local garrison, the 222 Battalion, Bomadi.
The Bomadi mercantile community is up in protest against the military. In the course of the enraged army hunting for the “militants”, the community is complaining of huge losses, from their legitimate trades and businesses. Bomadi ogogoro(local gin) sellers have sworn to sue the military, over the alleged destruction of their ware, worth well over N10 million.
Also enraged against the military is the local branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), which claimed the soldiers punctured tyres and smashed the windscreen of over 40 vehicles, owned by its members. The Bomadi Motorcycles Operators Association too, growled about how bikes and tricycles belonging to its members were damaged.
It was the same sad story with the Association of Auto-Mechanic Engineers, operating on the marine front. They complained that the soldiers wreaked havoc on their assets, such as outboard engines and generating sets: Yamaha 75, 45, 25, 14 and others.
Rights group, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), in the neighbouring Bayelsa State, has also carpeted the military for impugning on the economic rights of the locals, though by another alleged military invasion of some communities in the EkeremorLocal Government Area of the state.
So has the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Central Zone. It is unhappy over the Ekeremor military invasion. But it also condemned, in very strong terms, the killing of a soldier, by alleged militants, in the area.
Had the traders’ losses been limited to instant asset destruction alone, it would have been grievous enough. But it appears the army raid of their business locale could have long-term negative effects. For instance, many of them claim that some customers, from adjoining areas like Kogi, Anambra and Benue states, seem not in a hurry to return to the market, after the initial scare by the soldiers. For an economy trying to find its feet again, that is dreadful indeed.
Yet, this collateral damage is very much avoidable. And of all the reactions to the attack, the IYC hit the nail right on the head. An army raid on any community is unfortunate, and should never be contemplated, not to talk of excused.
But killing policemen, soldiers and other symbols of the state’s lawful coercion is brazen outlawry too that should never be tolerated. If a section of the citizenry kills coercive agents of the state, and routinely gets away with it, what they signal is the Hobessian jungle. It is a sorry pass, in which everyone is guaranteed to lose.
That much was indicated by the reaction of the local army garrison commander, who sued for caution, adding that the army having issues with the Bomadi people, or the Bomadi people having issues with the army, was unfortunate; and the matter should be resolved to the mutual benefit of all.
So, how do you avert such clashes? Communities should stop shielding a few criminals who could lead them the harm’s way. If indeed anyone killed a security officer, the communities involved should cooperate with the government to fish out the alleged killers. That way, there would be less collateral damage, if any at all.
The emotional ploy to hide criminals, out of sympathy, leads to the irrational anger to exert revenge on just anybody in sight. No civil or civilised society is framed that way. The code should be strict: let the guilty be punished. But even more so: let the innocent not suffer any form of sanction, no matter how slight.
But things even need not get to that point, if we were to operate the good, old dictum: prevention is better than cure.
To prevent such mutual bestiality, we must build a civic society that is law abiding; and is under free self-compulsion to expose crime, no matter the situation. If we had citizens with such a mindset, most would respect the law and even the thought of killing an officer of the law would be a terrible anathema. If however a lunatic fringe dared, they would be exposed at the speed of light.
But to go with that type of civil behaviour must be a citizen-army and police, that must respect the civil populace, as much as the civil populace respect the uniform they don and the authority it confers by law. Such mutual respect, nay affection, would greatly reduce tension, needless deaths and avoidable loss of assets, since crises would also be greatly reduced. That is the ultimate way to go, if we are to avert these periodic flares.
But back to Bomadi, the innocent victims should press every legal and legitimate right to fair compensation. At the same time, the criminals that killed the soldiers should be apprehended and punished.
That is the only way to extol civility; but condemn barbarity
