Buhari Orders Arrest of Persons Involved in Benue, Taraba Killings

·        Why we set up Neighbourhood Security Corps

President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his order to the police and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute all persons involved in recent killings in Benue and Taraba States.

The president said that has become imperative because the attacks in those states amounted to a declaration of war on Nigeria and its territorial integrity.

This came as Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said since the country was yet to decentralise the police and other agencies, his administration has forwarded a bill to the State House of Assembly to establish the Neighbourhood Security Corps to cooperate, support and complement the efforts of the regular security agencies in policing communities in the state and advancing their security.

Buhari, Wike and top security officials spoke yesterday at the 9th General Assembly of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria in Port Harcourt.

Buhari, who was represented by Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abduramman Dambazzau, stated that everyone involved in atrocities across the country would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

  

He assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would not shy away from its responsibility of protecting lives, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Nigeria.

According to him,  “I am saddened on the wastage of lives and properties, and I have directed the Inspector general of Police that no one is spared in all the atrocities.

“The killings in Benue and other states must be brought to an end because the action amount to declaration of war on Nigeria, its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

 Buhari said the federal government is hopeful to restore the security in every part of the country with the support of the royal fathers.

“When you relegate the royal fathers, you have automatically failed in taking governance to the grassroots.

“With your support as traditional rulers, we are sure of restoring peace to any part of the nation that is currently under security threat,” he added.

The President reaffirmed the government’s resolve to and closely with the traditional rulers because of their important not just on the security architecture but also in community development.

He urged traditional rulers to enforce friendship among them and take it down to their communities to achieve national cohesion.

“Ensure that there is partnership among your communities; this will give way for cultural interactions and national integration,” he said.

The President commended the traditional rulers for the theme, of their conference: Community Policing as a catalyst to Crime Prevention: The Role of Traditional Rulers”.

He stated that community policing was key to ensuring national security, as it would contribute in arresting crime at the grassroots.

Earlier, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, reiterated his call for the decentralisation of security services as a way of resolving the deadly security challenges facing the country.

The governor noted that the security services as presently constituted cannot address the security challenges facing the country, where lives are wasted regularly, while governors are helpless.

He said the Rivers State Government has taken steps to improve her security through the setting up of a neighbourhood watch. 

He said: "For us in Rivers State, our position on State and community policing is very clear. While we join our voices to other well-meaning Nigerians to strongly and emphatically demand for the decentralization and depoliticization of security services, we are also not resting on the back of helplessness to do nothing.

“Already, we have forwarded a bill to the State House of Assembly to establish the Neighbourhood Security Corps to cooperate, support and complement the efforts of the regular security agencies in policing our communities and advancing their security."

The governor noted that: “The reality before the nation is that centralized policing has flatly failed and is incapable of resolving the enormous security challenges of a vast and culturally diverse country like Nigeria

"And even as we may continue to live in denial, the recurring bloodbaths in Benue, Taraba and other States have once again exposed the weaknesses of our country’s centralized policing system as well as the frustrations and near complete helplessness of State Governors in their quest to provide adequate security for the communities and the people that they govern.

"We can only imagine the magnitude of the sufferings and pains ordinary Nigerians are going through when the daily pains of violence and insecurity are added to the unending pressure of poverty, unemployment and lack of development."

Wike said at a time like this, it would be ungodly for good men to remain silent while the nation is dangerously wobbling. He urged all well-meaning persons to be counted among those who would work for the resolution of the security challenges facing the country.

He said that Rivers State is peaceful, working and brimming with ample economic opportunities for investors to take advantage of.

The governor said  the traditional institution must wake up to their responsibilities by lending their strong and respected voices to the national agitations for true federalism, resource control, greater devolution of powers, as well as State and community policing and good governance in the country.

He said: "In all these, our traditional rulers have significant roles to play to protect and defend the nation’s unity and advance the rights of our people to democracy, good governance and development."

In his remarks, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, said that the role of traditional institution was vital to national security.

Represented by a Permanent Secretary in the SGF’s office, Mr Umaru Bello, Mustapha stated that the theme of the assembly was not only apt but vital in the wake of insecurity inthe country.

“With the meeting of the traditional rulers, we believe that you will come up with solutions that we will work with,’’ he said.

The SGF said that Community Policing was established to foster relationship with the police and the community to reduce crime and criminality in the communities.

“This led to the formation of the Police Community Relations Committee; so, we will rely on what you can do, because we know the strategic solution you can draw.