Kidnapping, Badoo Killings And The Rising Level Of Insecurity In Lagos. A Must Read...

Lagos CP Fatai Owoseni

By New Independence Group

Close to 60 days after the now sadly famous six schoolboys of Igbo Nla in Epe were abducted while studying, anxiety continues to mount over their safety, as fears are now being expressed over the possibility of unpalatable reality that the kidnappers, having been paid substantially, are unable to return them as a result of the unthinkable. At the New Independence Group( NIG), we earnestly pray and hope for the safe return of the kids, in the hope that they are not already traumatized beyond what they could bear.

It is very worrisome that children are being routinely grabbed even from the allegedly fortified walls of schools by criminals, as a means of extorting parents, rightly or wrongly, regarded as well off. It is terrifying for parents to worry daily about their kids returning safely from school, bearing in mind the possibility of a strange, heartrending call about their abduction. It is doubtful too, that the remaining students in Igbo Nla and its environs can learn without the morbid fear of strange faces walking into their classes or dormitories and grabbing them to be used as objects of bargain between their parents and a bunch of criminals in a transaction so dangerous a safe return is not guaranteed.

It is a serious cause of concern that security agencies and the Lagos State government have not been able to address the abysmal security situation along the ikorodu-epe axis. Presently, ikorodu residents take turns to protect their neighborhoods as vigilantes, against the backdrop of incessant killings suspected to be associated with a sophisticated ritual gang called Badoo Boys. For so long, residents cried, begged and in many cases fled their homes in the face of their helplessness against those who seem to encounter no inhibition as they frequently commit mass murder.

It is therefore not surprising, disheartening as it is, to see the degeneration of the vigilanteism of a people under siege into the form of jungle justice that, according to media reports, resulted in the killing of possibly innocent citizens in a convoluted case of mass apprehension and mistaken identity. Such a sad development is the inevitable message of a populace to those in authority that they can no longer be trusted to provide a basic function for which the society as an organized entity exists – the security of lives. It is a frightening pointer too to the further degeneration of the situation into a more brutal Hobbesian ‘state of nature’, where life is considered ‘nasty’,’solitary’,’brutish’ and ‘short’ unless adequate measures are taken to protect and reassure the people.

The Lagos State government, conscious of the rising state of insecurity as it goes about the task of turning the state into a megacity recently launched its neighbourhood security outfit. While the idea is itself commendable, questions persist as to whether the idea is not more of politics than substance. It will be interesting to know, for instance, what kind of training in crime detection and intelligence gathering the new recruits acquired within such a short period, more so when they are not an arm-bearing organization. It is also doubtful if careful effort was made to ensure smooth coordination between them and other security agencies within the state. Unless there are plausible answers to these questions, the commitment of the state government to the security of its citizens, which is understandably being questioned, in the face of the protracted kidnap of the school kids, will continue to remain in serious doubt.

In the immediate, the Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Security Service need to step up their games, working in concert with the State government, to secure the safe release of the abducted schoolchildren and end the Badoo menace in Ikorodu-epe axis. So far, relevant authorities have often been caught flat-footed whenever criminals strike close to a riverine area. Several months back, daredevil kidnappers invaded the Iba area of Ojo Local Government, killing several people as they made away with the traditional ruler of the area, the Oniba of Iba. The assailants were said to have escaped, just like the Igbo Nla kidnappers and many before them, through the waterways. What these pattern of crime suggests is that inadequate attention to the security of riverine areas and the waterways in Lagos is a significant incentive for criminal elements. The security agencies need to intensify their efforts in boosting safety measures in areas that are prone to these kind of attacks.

At the NIG, we are of the view that one of the important factors why security efforts presently appear to be floundering, and devoid of coordination, is that states have little or no power to provide the security needed for their immediate environment. The total centralization of the security apparatus of the country makes it very difficult for issues to receive the needed attention as they arise. It is high time the Centre sheds some powers, especially in the area of security, to the federating units.

This will enable them tackle their peculiar challenges with capacities built for addressing the challenges of their environment. Beyond the immediate step of mobilizing currently available resources to deal with present challenges of kidnapping and serial killings is the need for the amendment of the constitution to allow the creation of state police forces. Most security issues are local. What this implies then, is that restructuring the polity, which evidently has become imperative, is a holistic endeavor that relates with not just the issue of resource management, but also the security of lives and property. The Lagos State government and its counterparts have a duty to support this idea if Lagos, and indeed other parts of the country is to be effectively secured and placed on the path of true development.

Signed for NIG by Professor Akinyemi Onigbinde, The Convener