In a show of criminal defiance, about 60 armed robbers recently raided eight streets in one night in Mushin, Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital. By the time the felons exited, they had vandalised most of the houses, raped several women and destroyed 30 cars parked overnight on streets such as Ereko, Coker Lane, New Balogun and Ayonuga.
In the new uptick of violent crime in the state, the hoodlums operated for about six hours, till dawn, robbing in the community unchallenged by security men. In a state that has become renowned for its relative safety amidst the huge security challenges facing the Nigerian state, this is a misnomer. A witness said, “Around 1am, they started going from house to house, robbing the occupants. They stole phones, money and everything they saw. People were crying throughout the night. It was terrible.” Where were the police and the task force operatives when the hoodlums were on the loose? It is inconceivable that some of the residents of the area did not alert the police through telephone calls and text messages.
Curiously, the Mushin incident seems to represent a growing trend noticeable in places like Somolu, Mafoluku, Abule-Egba and Bariga. It was also reported that at least one person was murdered and four buildings burnt one Monday night at Dawodu Lane in Ilogbo Community at Apapa Road in Ebute-Meta, Lagos, when gunmen attacked the community. In August 2013, two students of the Yaba College of Technology were shot in their residence in the Bariga area of the state during a robbery operation in which a lady was also raped. Robbers also raided about 60 houses in Papa Ashafa, Dopemu, killing one person. “The robbers took their time as if they knew nobody would come to help us,” said an affected resident.
Is it that the government has lost its capacity to rein in terror through the instrument of state coercion? It should not be so, because curbing armed robbery and violence, and providing security for the citizens should be the primary responsibilities of the state.
A few days to Easter, a pharmacist, Chukwudi Onuoha, 62, was attacked by robbers in his store in Ibereko, Badagry. He died a few minutes later from gunshot wounds, leaving his family to carry the can of gloom. According to statistics supplied by CLEEN Foundation, an NGO, crime rate in Lagos spiked by nine per cent in 2013.
Insecurity creates an atmosphere of tension, fear and helplessness. In a country like Nigeria, where the citizens don’t carry arms for self-defence, the government has failed the people by allowing robbers to visit terror on them at will. The security system has fallen short and government at all tiers needs to act by reengineering the process of how criminals are apprehended and punished.
But the brigandage is not limited to Lagos. In March, armed robbers riding on motorcycles killed 69 people in a daring attack on four villages in Katsina State. In Kaduna, Zamfara, Benue and Plateau states, robbers have carved out territories for themselves, stealing, maiming, and killing defenceless citizens at will. Three hundred people have lost their lives to robbers in Zamfara State in the past three years. In April, more than 100 people were murdered by cattle rustlers in the same state.
The inadequacy of the security agencies, particularly the police, who have the primary responsibility to protect the civil populace, shows clearly in the unfolding crisis. Although the country boasts about 370,000 officers, as many as 100,000 of these agents are guarding government officials, high profile individuals and those who can afford to pay for such illegal services. This has to be reformed.
As Mohammed Abubakar, the Inspector-General of Police, said during his confirmation hearing at the Senate in 2012, too many officers are guarding private individuals. With the raging insecurity across the country, Abubakar has to fulfil his promise to withdraw all the policemen on such duties and redeploy them properly to policing the whole country. The IG should set a crime reduction target for the Police Commissioners in the 36 states and Abuja.
For instance, any commissioner that records more than three or four armed robbery attacks in his domain in a month should be sanctioned. If the trend continues, he could be removed to pave the way for a better manager. The same could apply to commissioners, who should set goals for the Divisional Police Officers in the states.
Decentralising the policing system is the way to go. Since the Federal Government has abdicated its responsibility in properly funding the police, the National Assembly should consider the proposition for multi-level policing.
There is an urgent need for states to hone their crime-fighting policies. The citizens also need to be more alert in foiling crime. Gone are the days that it is only the police that take all the responsibility for fighting crime. As is being done with community policing in many areas of the United States, Nigerians should get more involved in their own security. Nigerians should report strange movements in their midst and take the pains to know their neighbours so as not to be infiltrated by criminals.
