*State/ Community Policing
*As Senate Urges Buhari to declare National Emergency on Security
*Sets 17man adhoc.C’ttee
*Summons IGP brief it on Community Policing
By Ignatius Okorocha
Disturbed by the increasing spate of killings and other forms of banditry in virtually all parts of the country, Senators on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Service Chiefs and other heads of Security Agencies that have over stayed their job mandate.
This was even as majority of the Lawmakers put aside their party loyalty to support the creation of state police that has been on the front burner in the nation’s polity.
Senate urged President Buhari to declare a national security emergency just as it set up an adhoc committee to engage the Security Agencies on way out of the lingering insecurity in the country and report back to the Senate in two weeks time.
It summoned the inspector General of Police Muhammed Adamu to appear before its adhoc Committee on the on Wednesday next week on the modalities of community policing.
The committee was also asked to engage he National Security Adviser on the implementation modalities of the December 2019 national security strategies.
The upper chamber further directed to it to engage the National Security institution to discuss their operational structures, funding, equipment and staff disposition with a view to reviewing the national security architecture to make it more responsive in tackling the myriad security challenges facing the nation and its people.
The committee was mandated to produce a draft implementation modality /blueprint on the way and means of tackling the current security challenges for senate consideration.
These resolutions by the upper chamber followed a motion on “Nigerian Security Challenges: Urgent need to restructure, review and reorganize the current security architecture,” sponsored by the leader of the Senate, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya Abubakar ( Kebbi North) and 105 senators .
According to the lawmakers who called for the sack of security chiefs,if the Buhari led government is serious with addressing the current insecurity situation in the country it should overhaul the security apparatus in the country by sacking the service chiefs.
Meanwhile the stage for the debate which dominated Wednesday’s plenary was flagged off by the minority leader of the Senate, Senator Abaribe( Abia South) when he indicted the ruling APC government of engaging in unnecessary propaganda on spate of killings, banditry and deteriorating state of security in the country and urged President Buhari to resign.
“The APC government should resign because it has failed. It urged Nigerians to stone it if it failed to perform. Nigerians should stone the APC,” he declared.
Senator Abdullahi Adamu quickly attacked Abaribe for his comment, accusing him of being partisan.
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege: the security architecture is overstretched. It’s no longer as effective as it ought to be.
“Agitation for the state police: the population of Nigeria police as at today is 300000. They cannot police the 200 million Nigerians.”
On state police, he said “we don’t want to create another Nigeria police and give it another name.
“Problem of Nigeria police is that there is no enough resources channeled to the police.
“State police can be abused by the state governors. We should focus on state policing but we don’t know what form it should take.”
Senator Muhammed Adamu Aliero:( Kebbi central)”let’s get the report of the national security summit and send the recommendations to the executive.
“Constitution has put state security in exclusive list. So, for us to introduce state police, we have to amend relevant sections of the constitution; else, we will be wasting our time.
“Let’s use trackers to track the kidnappers and other bandits. They use SIM cards, we should get the GSM operators to cooperate with the security agencies.
“More police officers should be recruited to beef up the police force,” he said.
Senator George Sekibo: ( Rivers East)”My heart is bleeding when I heard my colleagues speak.
“Every evil begat other evils; every wickedness produces its own kind. Anyone that sows the wind will reap wire wind. The wind will go away by the grace of God.
“Let’s go back to God and say we are sorry and ask God to forgive us.
“Let relevant Senate committees go on retreat, and invite expert
“Some states can pay for state police, let them be allowed to set up their state police. After all, virtually all the states have one security outfit or another,”.
Senator Ibikunle Amosun( Ogun Central)it will be unfair to castigate the police. Let every state have their own police. There is no state that doesn’t fund the police. The fear on security police is well founded, that it might be abused but that is very infinitesimal compared to its disadvantages.
“Our borders are very porous. That’s why invaders come from outside countries to attack us.Let’s use technology to fight the insecurity.
We should have state police as well as federal police.”
Senator Yusuf Yusuf:( Taraba Central )the Nigerian problems on security is the failure of the political class, the failure of the business class.
“We have personalised the use of police. Police have more regards for individuals than the people as a nation. Let civil defence take over the role of the police and let the police go and do their constitutional duties.”
Betty Apiafi: ( Rivers west)”The tenure of the security chiefs expired a long time ago. They are illegally occupying the offices. Let them go and let’s appoint new people.
Let police do their jobs and stop following individuals about.
No plan for those who suffer from collateral damage on them by insurgents.
Matthew Urhoghide: (Edo South)who coordinates security in the country? There is no inter agency cooperation in the country.
“If we must cure this issue, we must take care of our borders to stop influx of foreigners into the country because Nigerians
“The service chiefs have overstayed their welcome, and are now bereft of ideas.”
Senator Oluremi Tinubu: (Lagos Central)there is neighborhood security watch in Lagos.
“Let states that are ready be allowed to set up state police. Community policing and state police are the same because it is the state that will fund both.”
Senator Opeyemi Bamidele:( Our security, our unity, everything is being threatened.
“Restructuring of our security architecture is the way to go. We need to change our security architecture. We have federal police and not national police.
“Those who don’t want state police should forget about it. My people who elected me want state police.
“The service chiefs should be removed and new ones appointed.”
Emmanuel Bwacha( Taraba South)we should go to God and ask for mercy because we are very dirty before God.
“We (three arms of government) have failed.
“I support Amotekun because each region should find a way of protecting itself.
“Nigerians are very religious but our heart is not with God.
“The security architecture has failed so we need new heads in all these security agencies.
Sam Egwu(Ebonyi North): “Nigeria is like in a state of war because insecurity has taken over.
“There is a lacuna between the federal and the state since 1999 till date. Let us declare a state of emergency on security.
“President should call the governors and ask them what they need to secure their states. They need to be empowered to protect their states.
“Let them recruit their youth and empower them with arms to secure the people.”
