- Security agents kill one another with reckless abandon
“Fowls don’t eat each other’s intestines” is a common saying, but not so with Nigeria’s security agents who kill one another without minding the affinity of their official assignments. The latest of these senseless killings was that of one of the two policemen, Sergeant Sylvester Malik and Corporal Mough Tergu of the Special Protection Unit, Lokoja, Kogi State, who were reportedly shot within the premises of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) in Ado-Ekiti on December 15 during an exchange of arguments over attempts to disarm them before being allowed entry into the DSS premises. The policemen were said to have escorted Dr Femi Thomas, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), who was invited to the DSS office for interrogation when the unfortunate incident happened.
Two years ago, soldiers in Minna, Niger State invaded a police station following a fracas between one of them who was involved in a motor accident with a civilian. Both of them were taken to the police station. An argument ensued between the soldier and the policemen at the station, following which he was allegedly manhandled. This attracted the indignation of his colleagues who mobilised to the police station and descended on the policemen there. It took the intervention of their Artillery Commander, Brigadier-General Christ Ilouga, to get the soldiers back to their barracks.
Also, in May 2011,eight people, including two senior police officers, were killed by rampaging soldiers in Lagos following issues between some policemen and a soldier who was stopped at a police checkpoint. The military later denied that those who killed the senior policemen on ASCON Road, near the Badagry Army Barrack were soldiers. And in June, a policeman was reportedly killed, while others were injured after engaging soldiers in a gun duel at Ngwa High School Forward Operation Base (FOB) in Umuahia, Abia State.
The incidents are too numerous to recount. And we believe this is so because we hardly see the incidents to a logical conclusion, especially when they happen between or among the security agents. But trigger-happy policemen who kill innocent citizens without justification are now getting their comeuppance. If this trend continues, it is almost certain that such incidents would be reduced to the barest minimum
What makes matters worse in the Ekiti incident is the alleged shielding of the culprit by the DSS. According to Ekiti State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mr Alberto Adeyemi:”The DSS is shielding the suspect and we are still waiting for them to hand him over to us. The two policemen were fired and one of them pretended as if he had died and he was hearing all their conversations”, Adeyemi added. This is the usual practice when such incidents happen among the security agents. When people commit crimes, the next thing is to hand them over to the police for possible arraignment in the court of law. That is where their guilt or innocence can be established. We therefore call on the DSS to release the suspect forthwith. It is high time we started teaching people bearing arms on behalf of Nigerians that the arms should be used responsibly.
Other issues arising from the Ado-Ekiti incident include whether the NHIS boss escorted by the policemen was entitled to police protection, and if he was, how many? We ask this question in view of the acute shortage of policemen in the country. Moreover, were the policemen expected to disarm when entering the DSS premises? Although this may sound like a rhetorical question because even if the policemen broke the rule, should the DSS official have fired to kill?
We restate our position in similar circumstances that such occurrences are bad for security agents trained in the use of arms. Professionals are expected to act professionally. Nothing suggests this was done in the Ekiti case. So, the Federal Government should set up a panel of inquiry on the matter. The culprit/s must be made to face the music.
