- The foiled robbery at Nigeria’s Seme border with Benin Republic is a model for ECOWAS regional collaboration against crime
For Toweki Joseph, (a.k.a. TK), a 32-year-old notorious criminal and 10 members of his comrades-in-crime, the end finally came on March 17 when they engaged the police and other security agents from Nigeria and the Republic of Benin in a gun duel at Seme border. It was a classical case of everyday for the thief, but one day for the owner. The gang had participated in various criminal activities — high profile bank robberies in Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Ogun, Edo and Benin Republic; kidnapping, vandalism, piracy and cultism, even across national boundaries.
But this is not a celebration of the escapades of TK and his comrades-in-thief but the celebration of the place of intelligence in crime prevention, and more importantly, the collaboration between Benin and Nigerian security forces in crime-busting, without which the activities of the dare-devil criminals would not have been terminated. This cooperation made TK not to live to regret his action this time around, considering his reported promise to quit armed robbery if they could hit the one billion Naira jackpot in the Seme bank and bureaux de change operations that they planned to carry out before they were apprehended.
Just as in healthcare, prevention is better than cure even in crime control, and crime can only be prevented when security agencies have good intelligence at their disposal. It was clear that without the intelligence gathered by the security agencies, the men could have carried out their operation at the border successfully. Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, who briefed the press after the hoodlums had met their waterloo, situated the role of intelligence in the matter: “On March 16, we got a report that TK and his gang were planning to attack banks and bureaux-de-change at Seme border area. They were said to have come in three boats at about 3 a.m. and immediately started shooting sporadically in commando style,’’ Owoseni said. “The Police, Customs, Immigration, the Joint Military Taskforce and policemen from Republic of Benin who had earlier prepared for them foiled their operation. The gang surrendered to the superior gun power of the security agencies and fled,’’ he added.
We join the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, in calling for more of such partnership among the country’s security agencies and those of our neighbouring countries. Criminals have become so sophisticated that countries must collaborate to nip their menace in the bud. But for such cooperation, the notorious car robbery kingpin, Ahmadu Tidjani, might still have been plying his illicit trade, leaving his victims in tears and anguish. But he was eventually apprehended in September 2003 because the Nigerian and Beninoise authorities signed an agreement to jointly fight trans-border banditry.
Indeed, such collaboration should be exploited to fight oil smuggling, another main area of concern to Nigeria that has lost billions to the activities of all kinds of criminals who fiddle with her enormous oil resources. The earlier countries realised the importance of teaming up against crime, the better because this is a critical deterrent factor that would make criminals think twice knowing that even if they run across borders, the arms of the law are not too short to get them. No nation can be at peace with the quantum of sophisticated arms and ammunition at the disposal of criminals like TK, reported by the police to have over 200 persons sustaining his den of criminals, and with escapades across borders.
We commend all the security agencies involved in bringing an end to the activities of these criminals for their gallantry, display of professionalism and collaboration. Also deserving of commendation was the role played by members of the public who joined the security men in pursuing the criminals.
