Attack on NDA Barrack: Now it almost seems like we don’t have leadership in Nigeria – Ibrahim

Barrister Ayodeji Ibrahim is an Ilorin born and based legal practitioner. Born on 29th of January 1959, he started his primary education at Ansarul Islam Primary School, in Ilorin before relocating to Sokoto where he completed his primary education and went ahead to attend Sultan Abubakar College, a Grade II teacher training institution.

He is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University where he studied Sharia and Civil Law in 1988, proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus where he was called to the bar in 1989.

A.A Ibrahim as he is known, did his NYSC Youth Service at the now defunct Bendel State posted to the Court of Appeal in Benin.

He returned back to Ilorin and joined the Lambo Akanbi & Co Law Firm.

He started his private office, A.A. Ibrahim & Co in 1993 and he has been in active private practice since then.

In this chat with JIMOH SULYMAN, he shared his thoughts on the state of insecurity and perennial failure of the government to solve it. Excerpt;

With the state of insecurity already at its climax, is there any role the judiciary can play in finding a solution to it?

I think the judiciary is helpless in this regard, there is nothing the judiciary can do on this issue of insecurity in the country to be frank, we have very little role to play.

Their role is only limited to just trying the insurgents whenever they are apprehended, it is the duty of the judiciary to bring them to book.

Insecurity, we know those who are saddled with the responsibility to maintain security and peace, apparently those people have failed in their responsibility.

I read a write up recently, written by a Air Marshal, telling the whole nation that these insurgents and others that are responsible for the unsafe status of the country are known to the DSS, that Buhari knows them, also the Police, so one is surprised that they are not doing anything to save the lives of innocent people.

Of course, one will start to believe the rumor that the governments are the ones sponsoring these insurgents, it is very unfortunate.

We didn’t know things will turn out this way; people were spurred on by the pedigree of the President because of his military background. it is almost as if we don’t have leadership in this country.

Do you think this unfortunate attack on the NDA barrack will wake the Armed Forces from their slumber or rather dampen their morale?

We need to be frank with ourselves, this is not the first time such a thing will happen, it has happened in the past, when armed men will launch attack on military location, Boko Haram has done it several time.

When they raise little dust and make efforts to tackle the Boko Haram after a while they will relax and things will go back to business as usual and these people will regroup again to continue their onslaught of the peace of the nation.

We really need divine intervention in our country, because we the people have lost trust in the Armed Forces because they’re not doing what is expected of them, some of them are not faithful because of their personal aggrandizement.

I don’t know why a leader will continue to see his people suffering like this. Who is at peace in this country? Nobody, even the administration itself is afraid, if you see the way the police and Army barricaded their offices, meaning they’re afraid of these insurgents, talk less of we the ordinary citizens.

This country is getting tirED, because nothing is going right, economy is not encouraging, security is now becoming scary.

There has been some calls that people should defend themselves by any means necessary which include taking up arms, will the law support such move?

Yes, there is law that supports people having their own personal ammunition but one need to apply for a permit in order to be able to possess a firearm, just for personal security.

Is it safe to say that the FG hasn’t done enough or doesn’t have the means necessary to safeguard the nation?

They have the means to fight against the insecurity crises, but they don’t want to, I don’t believe that our army can’t over power the insurgents, taking a look at neighbouring country, Chad Republic, and what they did to Boko Haram, now they dare not near the country again.

We have more personnel and we’re even more equipped than the Chadians. The funny thing is that we have many experienced personnel who are capable of routing the Boko Haram completely, they know those behind them but they don’t want to risk stepping on toes.

It is really unfortunate that we’re having this kind of security challenges in our country, which we started having toward the tail end of the Jonathan-led administration and it has persisted till now despite all our hope in the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari being a retired Military General.

In fact things are now worse compared to then, all our President do is to stay in the State House or better still travel to London, so he doesn’t care what happens to common-man in the country, he has been a disappointment.