Tackling security challenges through integration of traditional rulers in community policing

The hue and cry about insecurity in Nigeria reached an alarming crescendo when the daughter of Afenifere’s leader, Reuben Fasoranti, Olufunke Olakunrin was killed by suspected herdsmen at Ore junction, Ondo State on July 12.

The ensuing reactions were charged, emotional and combustible.

President Muhammadu Buhari swiftly offered a soothing response; he directly commiserated with Fasoranti and reassured Nigerians of Federal Government’s commitment to the protection of lives and property.

In the aftermath of Olakunrin’s death, alongside other incidents of killings, the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, ordered killer herdsmen to leave South-West now or face serious confrontation.

The organisation said that a lot of people had been killed due to activities of killer herdsmen between 2015 and 2019.

An Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said the quit order was because of the killing of Olakunrin.

Determined to assuage feelings and find lasting solutions to the reoccurring security challenges, Buhari directed the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to confer with traditional rulers and get their input  vis- a-vis adopting community policing.

Consequently, on July 20, Osinbajo held separate consultations with the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, and the Awujale of Ijebu Kingdom, Oba Sikiru Adetona—all Ogun  monarchs.

Osinbajo was accompanied to Ajayi’s palace by Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun.

“As you know, there are many significant security concerns all over the country, and there are concerns also in the South-West.

“So, I am here on the instruction of the president to consult with the traditional ruler, the governor and others on what to do to beef up security and to generally improve the security architecture.

“Of course, you know that Kabiyesi is not just a traditional ruler, but a very important part of the government.

“That is why we are here; to talk to him and agree on few modalities for beefing up security; and ensuring that we are fully conscious of all that is going on, just to be sure that peace and security reigns here and across the country.’’

Osinbajo expressed optimism that by God’s grace, Nigeria would overcome all its problems and set itself on the path of peace and prosperity.

The vice president, who also visited the palace of the Awujale of Sagamu, said the monarch was one of the most important voices in the South-West.

He said they had discussed on the important steps to take in order to improve the security architecture generally.

According to him, the monarch has given a lot of insight; his own views, on what needs to be done, how to go about it, and what has been done already.

“But very importantly, he showed his commitment to ensure that there is peace and security, and that everybody lives in peace with one another and maintains the highest level of security.

“We are consulting with many of the traditional rulers across the country, but there are concerns in the South-West now.

“The president has spoken about the role of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and security in their own localities.

“As we know, they are the closest to the grassroots; the closest to their communities.

“One of the critical things we expect from our community policing efforts is some integration between the traditional rulers, the community and the police; and efforts they are making to improve intelligence; and we need to understand what is going on.

“We need to know who is where, and what exactly is happening all around, so they can be transmitted to the more formal security agencies, such as the police and the army, depending on where and what the situation is,” he said.

In the same vein, Osinbajo, on July 23, met with Osun monarchs at Osun Government House, Osogbo.

The vice president, after the meeting, said that community policing was one of the methods that may be adopted to improve security.

In his contribution, Osun Governor, Gboyega  Oyetola, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Benedict Alabi,  applauded the Federal Government’s efforts in nipping the security challenges in the state in the bud.

“On behalf of the government and people of the state, we appreciate President Buhari’s administration for being pro-active and for showing interest in the security of our people in the state and in the South-West,’’ he said.

Buhari also held a consultative meeting with South-West Obas on July 31 at the Presidential Villa.

Buhari said that the vice president had already begun consultations with some Obas and he had been receiving feedbacks and observations.

He said that the consultations were important because traditional rulers formed a critical part of governance structures, especially in their respective communities, where they felt the pulse of the people being the closest to the populace.

The president said that the dynamics for safeguarding security kept changing and stressed the need to adopt modern, technological and people-centred methods in achieving the goals.

Buhari said that as the traditional authorities in their communities, government and the security agencies would be relying on them to monitor the communities.

The president also announced other measures government intended to adopt to tackle security challenges.

“Some of these interventions include an expedited commencement of community policing, a robust revamping of police intelligence gathering capacity and the significant boosting of the number of security personnel in our local communities.

“This, in specific terms, will include recruiting a lot more police officers and doing so right from their local government areas, where they would then be stationed in the best practice of community policing.

“Working with the state governments also, we intend to beef up the equipping of the police force with advanced technology and equipment that can facilitate the work of the security agencies.

“ I will be issuing directives to the appropriate federal authorities to speedily approve licensing for states requesting the use of drones to monitor forests and other criminal hideouts.

“We also intend to install CCTVs on highways and other strategic locations, so that activities in some of these hidden places can be exposed, more effectively monitored and open to actionable review.

“ We will equally continue to bring in our military when needed to complement the work of the police, including possible deployment of troops on certain highways on a temporary basis, and the use of the Air Force assets to bomb hideouts where criminals are located,’’ he said.

On his part, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who spoke on behalf of the Obas, said that the president had agreed to fast-track the monitoring of the forests in the region with the use of technology such as drones.

He said that policemen and officers would be recruited among people born and living in the various communities in the region.

“We can use that strategy to avert tension going on now in the South-West,” he said.

Deserving no less attention was the recent kidnap of a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and four others, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and the  killing of a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Paul Offu along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

 

The incidences, among others, buttress the call for drastic and effective measures to be adopted to tackle insecurity across the country.

Undoubtedly, bringing traditional rulers into the security architecture will enhance intelligence gathering and effective community policing that will reasonably address the nation’s security concerns.