#TrackNigeria Some security experts in Lagos have expressed mixed feelings over the proposed initiative by the South-west governors of Nigeria to have a joint zonal security network that will be known ad Western Nigeria Sevurity Network (WNSN) to tackle insecurity in the region.
In separate interviews, some commended the initiative as a welcome development that would check crime rate in the region.
However, another one condemned the initiative saying that each of the governors in the region should fund its state police command effectively to curb crime rate in their respective states.
A retired former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni, said the proposed security network by the South-west governors was not new.
Owoseni, currently the Special Adviser on security matters to Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, said that other commissioners of police in the zone and himself used to maintain such collaborations while he was in charge of Lagos State.
Owoseni, however, said that the governors from the zone had not concluded plans on whether they would engage the services of the members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and the local hunters in the security architecture.
He said the matter was still at the planning stage, stressing that it would nevertheless include the regular police.
The former Lagos Police Command boss said the planned security network was a good development that would improve the security of the zone as criminals would have no hiding place in the zone when it becomes operational.
“The security network is a good proposal by the governors of the zone for the south-west region as it will help the zone to synergise using the ‘locals’ to work with the police which is part of community policing, “ he said.
Another retired CP, Mr Ibe Agharaya, commended the governors for the proposed security network.
He stressed that adding the local people in the security architecture of any areas in Nigeria was the best decision by the governors, as crime on the highways was high in all zones of the country.
Agharaya noted that before now, armed robbers used do rob passengers in luxury and commercial buses on highways as such passengers used to carry with them large sums of money during transit.
He said that the cashless policy introduced by the Federal Government had stopped armed robbers from robbing commutting buses during transit.
He said that most robbers had in recent times allegedly turned into kidnappers as they no longer see cash to snatch from passengers.
“They kidnap people nowadays and force their families to pay cash as ransom.
“When kidnappers, mostly about five-man gang kidnapped people on the expressway and run into the bush, police operatives will always find it difficult to trace such criminals.
“The police team will be able to trace such with the help of the local people who, definitely, will know and understand the routes in the areas where the incident must have happened.”
Agharaya also said that crimes that happened on the highways should not be blamed on police.
“The police can only work according to their strength and the facilities available to them.
“As the South-west governors are planning for network on security, they should provide all the necessary logistics for it to be successful.
“The hunters that will be employed by the management team should be encouraged to work well by paying them with what they will have earned if they were on their hunting games and killed animals for sales.
“It is true that it is not everyday that a hunter kills animals. But if a hunter knows he can make money for three animals in the security programme a week, he will put in his best.
“They are the ones that will know where kidnappers’ detention camps are likely to be in the forests within their areas.
“Every team formed must be headed by one policeman. The CP should release arms from his office for the personnel of the new security outfit to the police head.
They should have equipment to work in the bushes at night, because at night, kidnappers carry out their nefarious movements.
“The CP of each state in the zone must be in charged of the operations. He must monitor all the teams by himself and not delegate powers .
“The CP must know which of the bushes the teams are going every time time,” he said.
Agharaya noted that for the security network to be successful, the governments involved in the projects must fund the police and be ready to serve as witnesses to prosecute the suspects when arrested.
According to him, if the policeman that is involved in the prosecution of a suspected kidnapper is transferred to another state, he should be mobilised to come to court to testify on the dates the case will come up.
“It is wrong to leave the police operative to be using their private money to travel from one state to the other to prosecute cases. A witness should be mobilised to testify in court,” he added.
Another retired Commissioner of Police, Mr Frank Odita, also said that the issue of security was on the front burner of every government now.
He said that the proposed network being floated by governments of South-west Nigeria was a good development if done within the law.
“We need to wait for them to roll out the details of the new security outfit to enable us X-ray the project, their ‘modus operandi’ and scope it would cover.
“For now we are doing ‘Sidon look’ and pray,. God bless Nigeria,” he said.
Another security expert, Mr Attah Folorunsho, however, disagreed with the proposed security network initiative by the South-west governors, saying that such a plan would not be for the benefit of the people.
He said that it would end up being another channel to divert public funds.
Attah said that it might mean that some people wanted to return the people to the era of native police.
“Don’t forget that the native police were set up to silent the oppositions. It is either they are reverting back to the dark era, or they are indirectly setting up state police of the dream of their godfathers.
“This proposal by the Westerners will surely lead to anarchy, chaos and confusion.
“We are living witnesses to the bloody clashes between the Pan-Yoruba social cultural group, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), and other ethnic groups such as the Hausas, the Ijaws and the Ibos in places like Ojo – Alaba, Mushin, Ajegunle, Ketu, Mile 12 of Lagos State between 1999 and 2004.
“For me, this project is not only callous, but an aberration. Only a well-equipped police force is the answer to crime and criminality. The proponents are selfish and ego-seeking people.
“Why can’t the governors of this states equip their various state outfits properly instead of their inchoate proposal that will eventually be counter productive.
“Their plan is a mere hoax. They can’t sustain it in the nearest future when eventually, it becomes functional,” Attah noted.
The governors in the six Southwest states had recieved an approval in principle from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to inaugurate a joint regional security outfit codenamed Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN).
The governors had risen from a security summit in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital in July, where they decided to defend their domain. The outfit is billed for launch by next month ( October). (NAN)
