Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana
says the recent unrest in the Niger Delta is as a
result of the height of intelligence failure by the
nation’s security system.
Falana, who spoke at a public forum organised by
the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau
(LASRAB) at the Memorable Gathering Event
Centre, Alausa to mark the 2016 International
Archives Day, said the failure of the security
agencies to keep proper records was the reason
for conflict eruption and escalation in the different
parts of the country.
“We are people without a record. There is no
country that can fight corruption and insecurity
without adequate information. What is going in
the Niger Delta now is the height of intelligence
failure.
“After the crisis in the region and the emergence
of the militants and the crisis that led to the
amnesty programme, we would have expected
the country to keep records, as was the case in
those days. For instance in those days, when a
prisoner is released, where he goes to, he will be
monitored. But when unleash warlords, who have
been asked to drop their guns and weapons to
the society.
“But no one monitored them. At the time they
were holding meetings to launch a more ferocious
attack on the nation, no one was worried about
them. The security operatives were concerned
about other minor issues.
“It is pathetic that our security officials are more
interested in reckless abuse of human rights
rather than gathering information and
intelligence that can fight and track crimes in the
country,” he said.
According to Falana, in Nigeria, it was not always
easy “to get copy of any judgment. There is no
court in Nigeria that can give you a copy of
judgment of 15 years ago; even if you give the
country one billion naira.”
He cited the case Lagos High Court, which
according to him, had an archive, though getting
a document from the archive “will require one
paying specially. They will tell you that you should
give them three months.
“After time elapse, they will tell you that they
cannot find the document. With this act, vital
records are lost. The only apparatus that had
standout in the last couple of years was the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC). They have helped in fighting corruption in
the country,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode, who was represented by the
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr
Steve Ayorinde said keeping record was vital in
fighting and tracking crime and insecurity.
Ambode stated that the illicit trade in historical
artifacts had gained prominence globally, saying
that “even though international convention has
made this practice cumbersome, we have
recorded some success in this regard. Some
artifacts stolen from various communities in
Nigeria are been gradually returned.”
The governor, therefore, explained that since the
creation of LASRAB, efforts had been made “to
gain access to valuable records that have been
magnanimous handed over to the state
government for safekeeping and conservation for
all.”

QuotaSystem:
I must agree with Falana.

The emergence of the ragtag terrorists was a failure of the DSS to keep tabs on the corrupt that were bound to fight back.

Magu did not impress on this one.