Schools closure because of Covid-19 doesn’t make sense at all as long as markets, events centers, amusement parks and stores remain open.
Schools closures on account of insecurity only make sense in areas that is plagued by banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, especially boarding schools in rural areas.
It makes no sense to close schools in urban areas like Kano where day schools are relatively safe.
But half measures will not address the fundamental issues. Goverment is yet to understand the nature of the problems while it lacks the political will and thinking power to push through reforms that will end insecurity in Nigeria.
To understand what I mean,let’s take a household invaded with rats for example. You need cats to put rats at bay. Even the hungriest and most stubborn rat will tread carefully if it knows there is a cat in the house.
Apply it to Nigeria and you will understand the need for special forces. They are combat and reconoisance force with special training, special equipements, special salaries, insurance and other motivations that will give criminals good run for their money. We don’t have such outfit.
All the units created by police are only special by name. They lack body armour, night vision, mobility, training, fire power and special payments insurance and allownces. Without special force you cannot end insecurity in Nigeria, especially terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
Second is the use of intelligence and technology. In United Arab Emirates (UAE), WhatsApp communication is a security threat because it is an end to end encrypted communication. So it is blocked. Boko Haram uses WhatsApp and telegram messenger. The two are heavily encrypted and can self-destruct without leaving a trace.
Nigeria should block them like UAE and only allow them for the purpose of use by security agents. All GSM communications are closely monitored in UAE and there can be no active line that does not have registered owner with verifiable address. In Nigeria they still sell “registered SIM”, a line you can use to commit crimes without leaving a trace. Haba what is wrong with our leaders?
Third, by regional standard, we have the most sophisticated banking system in Africa but we operate a cash economy which makes it a fertile ground for ransom collection. It allows kidnapping to fester.
In just a matter of weeks CBN can make Nigeria cashless by announcement. Without cash kidnapping will die a natural death. So far between 2015 and 2019 POS payments rose significantly, from some 34 million to 438.6 million.
Also data from the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) show that the value of mobile transfers rose to N30 billion in February 2019 as against N22. 3 billion in the same corresponding period in 2018. Nigeria can do more on this.
Armed robbery for cash has stopped because monies are kept in banks and people can access their money anywhere without having the risk of taking it along in a trip.
Fouth we can’t end insecurity without punishing criminals. The Attorney General of the Federation is the only one that can prosecute violent crimes. He is also a cabinet member by virtue of his position as Minister for Justice. The law that gave him powers did not stop him from delegating the powers to states attorney generals.
He should allow states prosecute cases that happen in their jurisdictions. There should be military courts for such offences. The regular courts have backlog of cases and should be discharged of such responsibilities.
These are easy and straightforward recommendations. They are not exhaustible. But are they listening?
