The Upper Crust

Dear Army, apologise to police, it won’t kill you

 

The events of August 6, 2019 have moved in a dizzying pace. Between Ibi and Jalingo Highway there are three military (or put properly Army) checkpoints. And that road is where three officers of the Nigerian Police were killed with the same ferocity they may have used to track down criminals around the country. It is the elite Intelligence Response Team, IRT of the Inspector General of Police which has Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Abba Kyari as head.
Inspector Mark Ediale, Sergeants Usman Danzumi and Dahiru Musa, plus an unnamed civilian were ambushed and shot dead by soldiers. The soldiers of 93 Battalion, Takum were drafted to provide some military presence on the stretch of road. It is because of the incessant crises in Taraba that necessitated the deployment of soldiers.
The snag however is that instead of pointing their rifles at the enemy; they aimed and killed innocent police men on active high profile national assignment. Unfortunately it was not a mistake. It was preconceived. A certain kidnap kingpin is the man in the middle as reports and investigations have since revealed. His name is Hamisu Bala. He is also known as Wadume. He is a native of Ibi and a ‘big-boy’ in street parlance. But his activities, affiliations and conspiracy have revealed the sinister cooperation between crime and crime busters. That they have infiltrated the army shows its time to develop a plan that is not more than two years which will pull our military back to the barracks. Everything must be done (behind closed doors) to develop a plan to return the military to where they belong.
There is a certain captain of the Nigerian Army who as at the time of writing this, is yet to be named. He was the one who gave orders for soldiers under his command to ambush and shoot to kill policemen who were coming from Ibi in a bus. It happened that after Wadume was arrested, he cried out that he has been kidnapped at a local joint (after he managed to smuggle his head through the window of the vehicle conveying him and the police officers to Jalingo). This must have alerted the village boys to get across to some of his accomplices or that is what we thought. Over the weekend, sources have confirmed that the local police station had its top officer, the Divisional Crime Officer as a lackey of Wadume. And before the IRT team left Ibi, as procedure requires, they had to report to the station. I believe a combination of police officers who are on the pay roll of the local champion kidnapper and the village okada riders who raced after the bus must have reached out to another co-conspirator which is the Army captain.
This is how the deed was done. If nothing, a video that emerged after the bus was attacked by villagers and soldiers showed that Inspector Ediale was still alive. He begged not to be killed, although wounded still showed his identity card, yet he was killed. This is classic premeditated murder. And with the work these gentlemen officers have done for Nigeria, the Army officer and his men have committed the greatest sin! These are men that have helped unravel some of the worst criminal gangs in the country. So to be waylaid and killed in such merciless manner is heart wrenching. And to be honest, I am disappointed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s response to this tragedy. I’m miffed by the response of the Army itself. An attempt to shield the army from public ridicule is afoot. But this is a dangerous crisis management strategy. The army is not an institution by and for itself. The army is for Nigeria, not the men in boots and khaki. The president has not made a statement of condemnation or paid tribute to the fallen heroes. He has not offered to meet the families of the slain heroes.  He’s just there in holiday mode..! This is classic poor optics and depressing leadership. Horrible!
Wadume is alleged to have had a hand in several kidnap and armed robbery activities. In fact, in one of those he was said to have collected N100 million. He has killed several people and compromised security personnel around the north east area. He has many young people, traditional institutions, market women, farmers and traders under his payroll. Of course, the ubiquitous okada gangs are his toy boys. His guns and those of his gang members are gotten from across the Nigerian borders, all the way up to Burkina Faso. When I write that our problem is not who controls the police or how it is funded people don’t understand. If only we will be calm enough to reflect, we will understand the nature of crime in our country. This will help us find solutions quicker and cheaper. The emotional vent of regional, state police is just what it is- emotional!
The major protectors of crime and criminals are (some) law enforcement agents and the military. Every person who wears any colour of uniform or bears a gun bought by the country, instantly sees himself or herself as a millionaire. They use their uniform or gun to aid crime.
As soon as a criminal succeeds once, the next thing is to look for official protection. Most times they get it. And this is not caused by how poorly they are paid but the debasing of our value system over time. Our people are greedy and ultra selfish. This is what produces the kind of insecurity we have today.
However, while at it, can the Army be humble enough to come out openly with the accused men in their fold and say they are sorry for the cowardly act their boys put up in Taraba? Can they visit the families of the police men they killed? Can they pay a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Nigerian police? I am eternally grateful for the sacrifices made by our Army in the North East, but it is time they search their own men. They may be aiding Boko Haram.

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