The disappearance of espirit de corps amongst Nigerian security agencies

Nigerian Army

The continuous clashes amongst security agencies calls for worry as these agencies not only kill themselves, but create more enmity among their personnel hence putting the country in jeopardy. What is responsible for it and what happened to the espirit de corp?

In the past, security agencies work as one. Research revealed that they also share intelligence amongst themselves. There were no lapses then hence there was nothing like shifting blames amongst themselves but today, it is a different ball game.

It is either one agency is blaming the other for lapses or fighting for supremacy. Just yesterday, men of the Vehicle Inspection Office otherwise known as VIO in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT were in a serious argument with some policemen when they insisted on prosecuting an offender in possession of expired particulars but because the offender is a relative of the policemen, they insisted that the person be set free.

As at press time, there was serious altercation between the two agencies. The policemen were increasing in their numbers while the VIO were also mobilizing hence attracting unnecessary attention at Asokoro, commonly known as AYA Bridge around the construction site in Abuja.

Precisely on the 10^th of April, 2017 Channels Television reported of clashes between the military and the police in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital which left at least three people dead.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Sumonu Andulmaliki, claimed that men in military uniform abducted the Squadron Commander of Mobile Police, MOPOL 41. Damaturu CSP, Dauda Fika. On his part, the military spokesman in the state Colonel Kayode Ogunsoya, said a committee has been set up to end the clash.

Nigerian Police

Also six years ago, eight persons were killed as Police and Army clash in Lagos State. It was so bloody that a Divisional Police Officer, DPO and the Divisional Crime Officer, DCO who ran into the rampaging soldiers, near the Badagry Army Barrack were shot dead along with six innocent persons.

It was gathered that trouble started when some policemen at a checkpoint along the Badagry Road confronted a man in mufti, suspected to be a soldier. The man, according to report was riding on a motorcycle and was accused of contravening traffic rules. Efforts were made by the police to arrest him, but he allegedly resisted arrest.

A police corporal allegedly opened fire on the suspected soldier who later bled to death. After they realised that the victim was a soldier, all the policemen at road block, and at the police stations and on duty removed their uniforms and fled their duty posts.

Some rampaging soldiers stormed some police stations along the road but did not meet their targets. The aggrieved soldiers then barricaded the road, searching for policemen inside the vehicles plying the Lagos/Badagry expressway.

While the soldiers were searching for policemen, the slain DPO, Mr. Samuel Salihu contacted the Army High Command who invited him for a peace meeting yesterday.

It was gathered that while the DPO, his DCO, who was identified as Samson Okedusi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), orderly and other officers were on their way to 242 Battalion, Ibereko Barracks, they were allegedly ambushed by some soldiers who opened fire on them. By the time the smoke settled, the DPO, DCO and six other persons were confirmed dead.

Meanwhile, the then Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, was in Lagos to commission some communication gadgets at the state Headquarters, Ikeja, when news about the killing filtered in. He was said to be consulting with the Army High Command to find a lasting solution to the war allegedly declared on the police by the soldiers.

As usual, there was tension along the road as shop owners hurriedly locked up their shops. Some residents flee the area while others locked themselves up in their homes.

This year, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC arrested two Policemen over 412 litres of Automative Gas Oil known as diesel suspected to have been illegally-refined along Otuasiga Okaki Road in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was further learnt that a special squad of anti-illegal bunkering team of NSCDC immediately conveyed the suspects and their stolen products to the command of NSCDC in Yenagoa with their identities yet to be revealed.

The state Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, could not be reached, but a source at the headquarters confirmed the arrest while the Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said such incident had yet to be reported to the command.

Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps

Precisely January 26, 2016, the Ebonyi State Police Command paraded a Civil Defence officer and 11 others over vandalization of oil pipeline at Amaeze Ishiagu in Ivo Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Peace Abdallah, said the police received information that there was vandalization of pipeline going on at Amaeze Ishiagu. “Police raced to the scene and after exchange of gun fire with the hoodlums, arrested one Igbokwe Chukwuemaka, a Civil Defence officer and 10 other suspects while others escaped,” she explained.

On November 17, 2016, there were claims by the Police that men of the NSCDC were arrested for kidnap. The Oyo State Command said the information provided by the police was not true and none of its officers was arrested for kidnapping.

In the statement, the police said they arrested Mr. Adeyemi along with an alleged dismissed soldier, identified as Ayodele Ibitayo, and one Ikechukwu Daniel for kidnapping. Mr. Adeyemi reportedly told the police that he was an NSCDC inspector, serving in Ibadan and that he supplied the gang with the victims’ contacts.

However, the command spokesman, Oluwole Olusegun disowned Mr. Adeyemi, saying he was neither in the nominal nor pay roll of the Oyo State Command of the corps. Olusegun disclosed that the state Police command never contacted the NSCDC to verify Mr. Adeyemi’s claims before going public.

Earlier this year, the Police on paraded two officers of the NSCDC, arrested over illegal dealing in refined petroleum product (AGO).

The spokesman of the Police Force, CSP Jimoh Moshood while parading the suspects at the Force Headquarters in Abuja said a Mitsubishi Patrol Van belonging to the NSCDC was recovered from them.

He disclosed that 350 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products AGO (Diesel) in 15 sacks containing 25 litres each was recovered from them. Moshood explained that the IGP Special Task Force on Illegal Bunkering on 7th March 2017 while on patrol intercepted the patrol van belonging to the NSCDC, loaded with the suspected products along Otuasegha area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Moshood added that the two suspects Asst. Supt II Agah Ovie and Asst. Supt II Angel Kilosomewo arrested with the van volunteered confessional statements admitting to be personnel of the NSCDC attached to Critical Infrastructure Department, Bayelsa State Command.

A typical scene where Police and NSCDC had altercation

The Army, Police and NSCDC are not the only security outfits involved in fracas. Recently, the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had issues with its sister agency, the Department of State Service, DSS to the extent that they went public to accuse themselves unlike what it used to be in the past. 

Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, was said to have been rejected for the second time in three months by the Senate as the substantive chairman of the anti-graft agency due to the report submitted by the DSS report.

The Director-General of the DSS was said to have written to the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF that Magu lacks the prerequisite and necessary professionalism needed to prosecute the anti-corruption war of the present administration.

According to the Memo which was signed by one Folashade Bello on behalf of the DG, DSS, Magu was indicted for leaking various sensitive state documents to an individual currently under prosecution by his agency for alleged corruption.

“An officer appointed as Acting Chairman of EFCC should by all means be one of impeccable credentials with proven integrity and capacity to lead the nation’s fight against graft in high and low places. Thus far, it is evidence from Magu’s antecedence that he is by no means that kind of officer.

“His relationship with Umar Mohammed which involved disclosure of very sensitive and classified documents in his possession shows lack of professionalism and has soiled his integrity. More so, for an officer who was indicted and nearly dismissed 6 years ago, to again be involved in similar circumstances, it is clear that Magu is a perennial offender and cannot change.

“Also worthy is the fact that Magu exhibited a total lack of judgment where it matters most. He accepted to move into a tastily furnished accommodation without any scrutiny of how it was furnished, this is curious and speak volumes of his personality.” The report titled: Request for additional documents/information HAGF/DSS/2016/VOL.1/7 dated 19 December 2016 further reads that the DSS recalled how the Acting EFCC Chairman was indicted by the Police Service Commission in its minute of plenary meeting of 20th December 2010 chaired by then chairman, Parry Osayande, DIG Rtd, amongst others.

Lately, it was reported that the EFCC got a Federal High Court in Lagos to grant a temporary forfeiture of the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 (totalling $43.6 million or N13.3 billion) belonging to another sister security agency, the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, a highly secretive organisation in Nigeria’s security circles. It is the government agency that oversees foreign intelligence and counter intelligence operations in the country.

It was learnt that the cash was stashed away in the apartment by NIA for a covert operation but was shocked on Wednesday when news broke that its operation had been compromised by the acting Chairman of the EFCC Ibrahim Magu and his personnel.

“Right now, the intelligence community is shocked at Magu’s blunder, which he made worse by trying to ascribe the funds to that NNPC woman who knew nothing about it,” the source added.

The above are just some of the few fracas or disagreements noticed amongst the security agencies. However, experts are disturbed by lack of synergy among the security agencies which have seen them displayed show of shame, what ordinarily should have been handled in-house before going public.

On several occasions, the security heads will emphasized on synergy amongst sister agencies especially whenever there are altercations but they seems to fall on deaf ears as these fracas has refused to come to an end.

A security expert, Jonathan Adakole believes these disagreements are avoidable and can be settled amicably without any confrontation or use of force or involvement of the media.

He stressed that partnership and collaboration is very pertinent as all agencies are working towards a single goal of protecting the society against insecurity.

Adakole said that synergy and more collaboration among security agencies in the country will significantly help in addressing insurgency and other security challenges in the country. There is need for sharing of information and ideas amongst security agencies.

On his part, David Nani disclosed that countries are stepping up their collaborative infrastructure through joint operations, joint trainings, formation of Fusion Centre, Joint Operations Rooms and central coordination networks and the Nigerian security agencies should not be an exception.

He said, “It is now very clear that security challenges can no longer be tackled by individual government agencies working independently, thus security and intelligence agencies must establish meeting points where collaboration becomes the driver of their activities.

“Only with synthesized efforts can the security agencies be made formidable and until we realize that a tree does not make a forest, we may not be able to deliver and fulfill the fullest the letter of our mandates,” Nani concluded.

It is bizarre and shocking to see how government establishments breach security protocol. Many critics attributed the fracas to the gap created among the security agencies. They suggested that the agencies should handle things at the top level instead of washing their dirty linens in the public for the world to see.

However, if the above suggestions by security experts are anything to go by, it is important that security agencies hold security meetings on weekly basis where synergy should be preached and information shared. They should also use sports or other recreational activities as a unifying factor. If the heads of these security agencies are seen meeting every now and then, the junior officers will not only have no choice to respect each other but activate the espirit de corp which seems to be disappearing.