INSECURITY, A THREAT TO NIGERIA'S UNITY

The world was stunned, and people were perplexed on the news of the gruesome murder of the innocent parishioners of the St. Theresa's Catholic Church, Madalla, in Niger State on Christmas Day.

Similarly, people became crestfallen on the dramatic escape of the alleged arrow-head of the dastardly act; Mr. Kabir Sokoto .He was apprehended and remanded in Abaji police station awaiting the dangling axe of law. However, as fate would have it, he escaped from the custody.

In order to assist in his arrest, a whopping sum of money, N50million, was placed on his head for anyone who could assist in his arrest. The issue of Sokoto's escape is even becoming messier because the police's Pandora's Box is now in the marketplace to the consternation of everybody.

Recently, and according to a report, 'President Goodluck Jonathan had pronounced that members of the Boko Haram sect had infiltrated his government and security agencies'. And to further buttress his point, it could be recalled that Senator Ali Ndume, a serving senator from Borno State, was arrested in connection with the activities of the sect. This was sequel to the alleged confession of his involvement and sponsorship by Umar Konduga, a member of the sect.

Moreover, a police commissioner, Zakari Biu, who was in-charge of Sokoto's case, was suspended for his escape. And in order to avoid the sword of Damocles dangling on his neck, the President had relieved the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, of his post. This is the result of the public outcry and condemnation about his inept and lackadaisical handling of security matters. It is the prayer that the new Acting IGP, Mohammed Abubakar will not slaughter our hopes.

The issue of security in Nigeria is hydra-headed. According to a report, Nigeria is one of the leading countries with the highest indices of insecurity. Yes, the issue of Boko Haram, with its killings of about '935 persons since 2009',and the recent bombing in Kano by the sect which nearly turned Kano into another Hiroshima and Nagazaki with the 'death toll hitting 185' has branded Nigeria as a country of threat and insecurity.

A colossus, who captured the political scene of Lagos, was assassinated by some unknown persons whose addresses are very near, but far in the wilderness of unwilling and corrupt security system in Nigeria. A pathetic story of a 70-years old, former Acting Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Ruth Oyetunde, who was murdered in Ibadan by some yet-to-be-identified gunmen will make the authority to sleep no more because they have murdered sleep.

But, can we condemn the police and the security system in its entirety? The Nigerian Police Force is widely acclaimed to be one of the best trained and disciplined forces before and after the Independence in Africa. She had paraded police officers with quintessential integrity who have performed creditably at foreign assignments.Let's give police a chance and freedom to perform the duty they know best. The Nigerian Police had been incapacitated by ethnicity, god -fatherism, lack of merits in terms of posting, and political influence. Until recently, they were poorly paid, usually ridiculed, and dehumanized by some superior officers in carrying out investigations.

The United States of America will continue to be the shinning example of a country worthy of emulation in transparency, confidentiality, and best democracy in the world. It was the ingenuity of the American police that unraveled the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865, by the pro-slavery agents; and that President J.F.Kennedy was murdered by a lone gunman, Harvey Oswald in the Dearly Plaza, on November,27,1963, while life was snuffed out of Martin Luther King Junior by the white supremacist in 1968.

In Nigeria, the hope in the police is not yet lost if we put our house in order by fortitude to fight injustice.

Olatunji writes