[Opinion] Redesigning The Architectural Framework of The Nigerian Police System – Uwode Josephine

The level of security decrepitude Nigeria as a nation is confronted with overtime has beckoned for advocacy for the establishment of state and community policing framework. This is aimed at creating synergy amongst security agencies and to give a top-bottom/grass root approach to combating security challenges.

Agitation in this direction necessitated the birth of local security outfits in time past such as local vigilantees, the war against indiscipline by the Buhari led administration in the 80s, Neighbourhood watch, the defunct Bakassi Boys in the South East around 1997 and OPC in the South West. The aim was to address ballooning crime rates that seemed to elude the capacity of the conventional police.

With particular reference to Rivers State as a case study for the purpose of this analogy, security challenges have been curbed to a reasonable extent through local security framework.

The establishment of local security outfits in Rivers State such as OSPAC, a communal initiative and a security alternative , has convincingly brought a tremendous redefinition of the security framework and efficacy in addressing security disservice that formerly put the state at the apex of criminality.

In recent past, several communities in Rivers state witnessed high degree of security mutiny. Renowned among such communities is Alakahia in Obiapo Local Government Area, Emuoha and Omoku respectively. These communities were bedeviled by high profile robbery cases, communal war, youth militancy, kidnappings, assassinations, cult clashes capable of sacking an entire community, unnecessary blood bath amidst plethora of heinous crimes.

In a bid to restore sanity to such insecurity afflicted communities, the Governor of Rivers state , Nyesom Wike launched the “Operation sting” in July, 2018 functioning as a state police although an arm of the conventional police force and the Rivers state Task Force, complemented with a local security outfit named OSPAC, all of which activities can be in brevity tagged “A crusade to the Restoration of Sanity to Rivers State”.

The activities of OSPAC and the measure of success recorded in curbing criminal activities in terms of arrest, confrontations, unearthing of clandestine criminal activities and execution of criminal elements base on fact and not hear say or spurious assumptions gives a green light to giving a nod to the community policing initiative.

Its been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the acquaintances of local security outfit such as OSPAC that entails the recruitment of local residents, well abreast with the terrain accounts for efficacy in delivering security expectations.

In a brief interview with some anonymous fellow in Alakahia residence, reveals that the OSPAC initiative is well welcomed by many on the premise that the group is transparent in the discharge of security duties. This is attributed to the oath of allegiance entered by members to be diligent in their assigned task. This is aimed at ensuring the non politicisation and ethnicisation of the security outfit. It indeed represents a zero percent tolerance for crime , corruption and a say no to the nurturing of sacred cows.

The modus operandi of the group that account for its huge success rests on the use of a fusion of physical and metaphysical means that entails vodoo display that rely on exchange of spiritual missiles, spiritually motivated necklaces used to stimulate crime confession as described in the words of ILoma Nyenwemaduka in a research paper “A Critical Analysis of the Vigilante Subgenre”. Some of these mode of operation is better depicted in Nollywood movies such as Isakaba, Oracle e.t.c.

The presence of OSPAC has indeed contributed immensely in silencing mind boggling criminality and incessant harassment of innocent citizens by some unscrupulous elements in the police force in Alakahia community.

Testimonies that align with the tremendous achievements of OSPAC is the apprehension of the killers of one Mr Ibe murdered in Alakahia few months ago, the speedy arrest of the assassins of a PDP chieftain, Mr Alele Nwozirika, the on the scene arrest of two criminals who engaged the group in a gun dwell following a robbery incident on 31/10/2019 about 11pm and also the gunning down of notorious criminals all in Alakahia community. In a space of two months of their existence in Alakahia, the community have experienced a new lease of peace as criminal activities have been nipped in the bud. Emuoha community is not also devoid of the plausible calm OSPAC has brought. A visit to Emuoha community and the unusual peace currently enjoyed by residents will convince any doubting Thomas.

However, a little few on the other side of the divide are exercising palpitations that the mode of execution of criminals by the group is more of a ” Jungle Justice System”. They are also apprehensive of the fact that some obnoxious circumstances such as ethinicisation and politicisation responsible for the demise of the Bakassi Boys may factor into the operation of the OSPAC. This assumption is linked to the ban on the operation of the group sometime this year following the killing of an alleged cultist Mr Eze Wali in the farm Road of Iguruta Ali in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers state. It was a development frowned at, as many attested to the fact that the deceased was never a cultist as alleged by OSPAC. Despite the ban on the group to limit their activities to just Onelga L.G.A , the immediate call by residents of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni L.G.A of the state for the resumption of duty of OSPAC following the surge of criminal activities after the ban, is a testimonial of the fact that OSPAC represents more good than arm. Thus, the fear exercised as opined by a few can be considered far from existing reality because one who is resident and familiar with the then sporadic increase criminal activities in these aforementioned localities will argue this to a stand still . There has been no recorded case of the execution of innocent citizens in the Alakahia axis basically, as those executed are criminals apprehended with firearms at crime scenes with glaring evidence and those who have confessed to involvement in high profile crimes.

The instant justice meted on some criminals is necessitated on the premise that the masses have lost confidence in the conventional police system when it comes to the prosecution of criminals handed over them. In fact, non of the apprehended criminals by this group have been spared on the ground of ethnic and political sentiments.

Having navigated through the positives of the OSPAC in Rivers state, it becomes crystal clear that the role of community policing cannot be underestimated. There is the urgent need for integration of these local security outfit into the formal police system in terms of giving them recognition, funding, training for professionalism sake to align with constitutional requirements. This will also help in averting supremacy muscling among security operatives that could spring out from unhealthy rivalry over who does the job better?.

For instance, the Operation Positive Identification launched by the Federal Government will yield mountainous success if there is partnership with local security personnel who are well abreast with local terrain that can aid in unveiling criminal hide outs, indigenous and residential identification, intelligence gathering e.t.c

It is no doubt that the level of insecurity paroxysms has overwhelmed the conventional police system, a shortcoming born out of man power gaps and the over stretching of existing manpower capacity that calls for a complementary role from local security outfit such as OSPAC and the Rivers State Task Force that has evidently helped restore law and order in Rivers state.

If this measure is replicated in all the states of the federation, it will undoubtedly help in mitigating security debacle.

At this juncture, it becomes pertinent to call for consideration for the recruitment of Npower beneficiaries, local residents who are well abreast with their local terrains to fill manpower gaps required for community policing systems which becomes ostensibly justifiable base on the above analysis. Spreading tentacles of such local security outfit to all nook and crannies of the nation will undoubtedly aid in ensuring effective terrestrial and coastal policing system especially in the area of information gathering that forms the bedrock of contemporary policing.