Insecurity is currently the most serious issue confronting Nigeria. It has been so for couple of years, but the dramatic kidnapping of over 230 Chibok girls from their school has focused world attention on the dreadful security situation in the northeastern part of the Nigeria. So far the girls has not returned to their families who are heart broken and at a loss for word on how such wholesale kidnapping can happen in a country like Nigeria.
Major world powers have offered assistance, which is well and good, but securing the girl’s freedom will be a tall order. Information obtained by reputable news organizations states that the girls has been separated and kept in small groups which is how terrorists operates. The ugly fact is that rescuing these girls by force without some sort of gun battle and blood shed is virtually impossible. Exchange of gun battle between the federal forces and the terrorists may mean that some of these girls will be caught in the cross fire which may result in the death of some of the hostages. That scenario is a reality that many Nigerians may not want to confront. Negotiation is another way to approach this catastrophic no-win situation. Boko Haram have already said that the only way they can release the girls unharmed is through quid-pro quo which entails Nigerian government releasing imprisoned Boko Haram fighters in federal and state custody in exchange for the girls freedom. On the other hand, releasing Boko Haram prisoners will encourage this evil organization to engage in more kidnappings. Nigeria government has already ruled out negotiation with Boko Haram. Nobody knows if it is an opening bid by the federal government or a definitive statement.
The issue that will inevitably confront Nigeria government is how to avoid similar occurrence in the future. A lot of people are offering various ideas. Some want reform of Nigeria police and the military. Some are proposing arming the police and the military with better weapons and other equipments and more training in urban warfare. Unfortunately for Nigeria, more urban warfare training and arming the current police force and the military with better and modern weapons and other equipments will amount to no more than a band-aide solution to the current deplorable security situation facing Nigeria.
The truth of the matter is that good intelligence is the key to combating terrorism. Terrorist live among the population and can only be defeated if they can be identified. Good intelligence can only be obtained when there is trust between various communities, the police and the military. Unfortunately, that trust does not exist between Nigerians and the law enforcement agencies particularly the Nigeria police force. Nigerian Police are often viewed as corrupt and oppressive by varies communities. The military are not trusted by the public either due to corruption and mismanagement of the country during years of military rule.
What is clear to most Nigerians is that the centralized police force the country established and has had since Nigeria independence in 1960 is largely a failure. Nigeria government preferred centralized police force, owned and controlled by the federal government to hold the country together due to multi ethnic makeup of the country. They fear that if local communities are allowed to establish police force, they will someday use them against each other during ethnic rivalry. Such concern is real and a legitimate concern, which must not be dismissed out of hand.
What will be the best of the myriad of unattractive options for Nigeria going forward? Definition of insanity is repeating same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That describes the current centralized security structure in Nigeria today. Nigeria government must effectuate a radical departure and move away from the current centralized and inefficient police force.
Police force in Nigeria must be decentralized if Nigeria is serious about tackling the insecurity situation pervading the land. State governments, local government areas and various incorporated towns and communities must be allowed to establish their own police force, that should be well trained and adequately armed. Local populations knows the criminals among them, thus in the best position to fish them out and get reinforcement from state or federal police when necessary. These layers of security will make sure that any criminal or terrorist group that manage to escapes the dragnet of local police force will be apprehended by the state or federal police force. Cooperation between various branches of police force and other law enforcement agencies will ensure that criminal or terrorist activity will be nipped from the bud before they metastasized into the cancer that Boko Haram is now to Nigeria.
Nigerians should better understand that Boko Haram would not be the last terrorist organization. More will come in the future in different disguises. They often start as saviors, gradually gain confidence of the local population, recruit followers and then turn around to kill the people they said they are out to help.
Many developed countries such as United States and United Kingdom have local police force because they are effective against criminals and terrorists. It may look like duplication of functions but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. It is no accident that Nigeria military and federal police deployed to the troubled areas of northeasatern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states where Boko Haram operates started recording victories against the sect when local population turned against the sect and started offering intelligence to the military and police forces. In some cases, the local population who has had enough of the terrorist sect organized themselves into civilian volunteer task force with crude weapons to fight back. They succeeded in killing a lot of the well-armed terrorist fighters with their primitive weapons. They will certainly be more effective if they are part of the local police force. Moreover, local polce will be in better position to learn how to operate in a democratic setting in-order to avoid excesses or extra-judiciary killings. Establishment of local and state police forces appears to be the only way forward for Nigeria. It has worked in other countries and should work in Nigeria irrespective of the diverse multi-ethnic make-up of Nigeria. However, necessary measures should be put in place by the federal legislatures to quickly nationalize any local or state force who turn into ethnic militia or fails to follow the constitution.