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“The police cannot protect the citizen at this stage of our development, and they cannot even protect themselves in many cases. It is up to the private citizen to protect himself and his family, and this is not only acceptable but mandatory”
“I don’t think there is any reason on earth why people should have access to automatic and semiautomatic weapons unless they are in the military or in the police”
The gruesome murder of over fifty (50) members of the Nigerian police force who were on a mission to arrest the chief priest of the ombatse shrine in Nassarawa State, Nigeria shas made the news for the past few days. We do not intend to get into details of the killings but there are so many unanswered questions which we would appreciate the answers; how is it possible that untrained natives were able to kill well trained and armed police men in their numbers with cutlasses? Ordinarily speaking, it is impossible. So we are left with no option to conclude that something beyond the ordinary happened and if that is the case, one can also suspect that whoever sent the police officers to that place had an idea that it was a difficult and almost an impossible task or how else can we explain sending over 100 officers made up of not just the police but members of the department of state services, members of the civil defence corps to capture just one man?
Why were these officers not warned of what they were going in for, since when did it become part of the duties of the police, civil defence and state security to capture native doctors? Why wasn’t the army involved in this operation since it was a joint operation? Why didn’t the police send back up when the people sent had not returned, they waited for 24 whole hours.
My main grieviance which provoked the writing of this article is that most people do not seem to care. If it was police that shot someone or aluu killings or the oga at the top interview, it will be all over the place, pictures will be all over the internet, NGO’s will talk, there will be demonstrations and protests, artists will hit the studio fast, nollywood will shoot a movie. Agreed the Nigerian police doesn’t have a good record especially because it is synonymous with bribery and corruption and extra judicial killings. Most Nigerians don’t really care about the police, afterall its one of them that betrayed them, whether they die in their numbers or not, nobody cares, but the truth is they are human beings too with families and rights too, they didn’t deserve to die just like that. Also we must remember that it wasn’t only the police that reportedly died in that mission, members of the department of state services that went on that mission have still not be found and are also presumed dead and only people closely related to them are making a fuss about it. It shouldn’t be so. An attack on the police or members of the force of any country is an attack on the whole nation.
Furthermore, we read reports that the members of the House of assembly are calling on the police not to seek revenge, as much as that is good, it is not enough, what are they compensating their families with? It shouldn’t just be the police alone that should compensate the families of the fallen heroes, the members of the House of assembly has way too much money, they can contribute just small from their plenty and compensate these families. It is only in Nigeria we hear families of slain police men on duty complaining many years later that they haven’t received the officer’s entitlements. If this is the case, what is the motivation for them to fight crime? Do we honestly think that if those officers knew they would meet their death that they would have embarked on that mission?
Now about this ombatse cult, It is still unbelievable that they have been in existence for over three years and the government of Nassarawa state kept quiet about it. Yet we have been trying to fight boko haram sect to no avail. Yet another sect is growing right at our back yard and it took the slaying with impunity of our officers for them to be made public. I still haven’t heard in the news that the chief priest of that shrine has been arrested. Hmmm, a stitch in time saves nine. I call on the government, the Nigerian Police, the department of state services, the Nigerian civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Army and all the powers that be to act fast, do the needful and put an end to this madness because it has already gone too far.
I end this article with this bible verse in Mark 3:27
“No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”
A word is enough for the wise.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right, but they make a good excuse”

“Every segment of our population, and every individual, has a right to expect from his government, a fair deal”

“Most people want security in this world, not liberty”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”

With the recent spate of bombings and killings in the Northern part of the country by the sect- boko haram, barricading half part of the road or even a whole street has become the order of the day in the Nation’s capital Abuja and some other parts of the country as every street that has a church is blocked on Sundays and every street that has a mosque is blocked on Fridays, and even when it is not blocked, you find that there is still no movement as the worshippers lay their mats on the main road, blocking the entire road till the end of the Friday prayers.

Worse-still is that all the streets that house police stations are a no go area because they are completely cordoned off as they seem to be the main target of the sect. The military and the state security service are not innocent of this as the same thing is obtainable in their area.

In this article we intend to raise four major concerns:

Right to freedom of movement: the blocking of these roads, does it not constitute a breach of the right to freedom of movement enshrined in Section 41 of the Nigerian constitution? When a citizen of Nigeria cannot pass freely on a road he is entitled to, thereby restricting his/her movement what is it called?

Some may argue that it is for security of many other citizens and right to life comes first before freedom of movement, while we agree that this is a valid point we ask, does it make this right or lawful, does the blockade actually prevent attacks? When a major road is blocked and there is diversion, it leads to traffic jam which makes the people in the traffic prone to attack. Besides, a suicide bomber who is ready to carry out his assignment, a simple blocking of the road may not stop him as he would easily and readily seek an alternative route.

Break down of law and order: A situation whereby road safety officials will help a church block a major road and encourage drivers to drive against traffic doesn’t make it lawful rather a total break down of law and order is not far as few hours later or the very next day you may be arrested by that same official for obstructing traffic or more traffic offences if you drive on that same lane he commanded you to be on. Also some churches have turned it to a right such that anytime they have programs during the week, (not just on Sundays), they block the road; people returning after a long day of work now have to face heavy traffic which ordinarily should not be there. What if everyone decides his life is in danger and block entrance to their street, where will people pass through?

Managing the situation: like stated above, blocking of major roads will not stop bombing, we are at best delaying the evil day. Barricades may caution the effect of the bombing but it is not a solution, it does not bring it to an end. People still live in fear even with the barricades, what if the bombers decide not to bomb churches or mosques again and then go to the open market and plant bombs , would we barricade the markets too?

Destroying tax payers road: some very heavy blocks are used to bar passers-by in the name of security. Lets look at the long term effect, most of those barricades will damage the road because when placed there for a very long time it will leave pot-holes or worse still erosion. One major problem Nigeria has been trying to tackle is bad roads, we cannot in the name of securing lives and property loose the few good roads we have.

Based on the concerns raised above, we submit that blocking of roads as good as it may look right now is not the best idea as it will cause more harm than good in the nearest future. When is it going to stop? The Federal Government of Nigeria should put an end to this menace once and for all, they should find a lasting solution to this boko haram issue as no amount of money is equal to a life lost.

Also, the security officials should come up with a better solution than blocking of roads, there are bomb detectors that can detect bombs from afar, there are several other ways to prevent bombing rather than restriction of movement and damaging our roads. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

More importantly, everyone should be vigilant, the government and the security officers can’t do it alone. you don’t need to be a trained security officer to help, be a good citizen, love your neighbor, embrace peace and eschew bitterness, avoid bad company, report any suspicious persons or movement, believe in positive change, with one heart and might, we can make Nigeria a better and safer place.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

www.mersimlawquest..com

“Diversity on the bench is critical. As practitioners, you need judges who ‘get it’! We need judges who understand what discrimination feels like. We need judges who understand what inequality feels like. We need judges who understand the subtleties of unfair treatment and who are willing to call it out when they see it!”
“When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life.”
It is no more news that the Chief justice of Nigeria, Justice Maryam Alooma Mukthar stepped down the swearing in of one of the recently appointed justices of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo on the basis of her state of origin. The strange thing however, is the existence of such a policy within the judiciary; a policy which denies a married woman a position whether appointed or elected, in her husband’s state.
We do not have much to say about the decision of the CJN to step down the swearing in of Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo based on the petition before her, as the constitution says it all in Section 238(2) which provides that a justice of the court of appeal shall be appointed by the president on the recommendation of the NJC , it means that constitutionally, she automatically became a justice of the Court of Appeal, the very day, the president appointed her.
Our major concern is the policy that estopps women from taking up positions in their matrimonial state. If such a policy or law is real or actually exists, it means that when a woman gets married she is not entitled to any benefits from the husband’s state, in fact she is not even a citizen of that state yet she bears the man’s name but she is a stranger in her own home, that is wrong on all levels. It is discrimination which is against Section 42 of the Nigerian constitution. The constitution is supreme and any law or policy that is inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution is null and void to the extent of its inconsistency.
Furthermore, it is trite that once a woman gets married, as much as she still retains the right of indigeneship of that state, it is really difficult to get appointment or be elected in her state of origin because she is already “sold out” to the other state, in fact her chances are higher in her husband’s state. This policy or whatever it is, threatens the sanctity of marriage. It means when a woman gets married and still wants to build her career especially in the judiciary, she should be limited to her state of origin, in which case she may not have to remain in her state to pursue her career while the husband stays in his own state.
Moreover, it threatens our unity as a nation, because it discourages inter- state marriage as only women who do not care about their career that will get married outside their state. There is unity in diversity, it is what makes us a great nation, Inter- state and inter- tribal marriage fosters unity and peaceful co-existence.
Before we conclude may we ask, what is the fate of other married women who have built their career for years in their husband’s state? What happens to the women who are already occupying positions in states other than their state of birth, should they resign and go back to their state of origin? Is it okay for a woman to bear her husband’s name but not enjoy other benefits accrued to the marriage like career advancement? What is the hope of her children, how are we sure that tomorrow they won’t be denied their right because of their mother’s state of origin?
The stepping down of Justice Ifeoma’s swearing in on the basis of her state of origin is sad, even more pathetic as it is coming from the judiciary we submit that that law needs to be reviewed as soon as possible no matter the reason it was made in the first place because it is discriminatory, unconstitutional, unfair, offensive, manifest injustice and contrary to natural justice, equity and good conscience.
www.mersimlawquest..com

“Gentlemen, get the thing straight once and for all. The Policeman isn’t there to create disorder, the police man is there to preserve disorder .”
“A functioning police state needs no police”.
State policing as the name implies has been defined as a police force under state authority rather than under the authority of a city or county in the state. It has also been defined as the police organised and maintained by a state as distinguished from those of a lower subdivision (as a city or county) of the state government. . State police should be differentiated from police state as they have different meanings.
A police state is a country where people’s freedom, especially to travel and express political opinions, is controlled by the government, with the help of the police. .
Wikipedia defines a police state as a state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic, and political life of the population.
Section 214 of the Nigerian Constitution establishes the Nigeria Police Force, which makes for a Federal police force for Nigeria. But considering the deteriorating situation of the security system in Nigeria especially the Nigerian police Force, various sectors have called for the establishment of the state police hence a decentralization of the Nigeria Police Force. However, it is not a settled issue as opinions vary and some groups are against the establishment of the state police.
Mersim Law Quest interviewed some Nigerians on this state police issue and their diverse opinions form the basis of this article. A choice few did not care whether state policing or federal police, as far as they know, it wouldn’t make any difference. They have lost hope in the Nigeria Police and nothing can be done about it.
Another group although very few believe and advocate for the state police system, saying that is what Nigeria needs. Mr Ekene Nwogbo an entrepreneur had this to say; state policing is a good idea because its easier to operate close systems, shorter processes because of less loops, error percentage and loop holes is less, you know your target. Focus is optimum; everything revolves around each other in an easy to manoeuvre manner, you know your system in and out, errors would be easy and quick to detect thus making the police serve better. Mr Sam Owojaiye is of the opinion that state policing is a good idea but it is complex and needs research but it’s definitely the way forward.
Just like Mr Sam, Miss Chinenyenwa Idam said she votes for state policing but the officers should be trained in the use of ICT and new advanced security system because crime is taking a digital dimension.
Also Mr Onyeka Ogugbue, an accountant had this to say; state policing is a good thing because they will go into the nooks and crannies of the communities as indigenes and security personnels to prevent crimes that ordinarily the federal police won’t be able to tackle instantly due to proximity. He reiterated that the idea is to expedite actions in the event of a crime or crime related issues, he cited the aluu killings as an example, that it would have been prevented if there was state police and also the different bomb blasts even with the presence of heavy security personnels around because they know the terrain more than the officers and know where to strike at a particular point in time. He concluded by saying crime may not be eliminated completely but can be reduced to the barest minimum; “so in my opinion, its a good thing o”. A retired security personnel (names withheld) with so much experience in the security sector had the following to say:
1. The police will know the terrain: that a police officer serving in his state will know all the nooks and crannies and will also know the people to meet for information that will aid better policing.
2. The people will know their police: when the people know their police officers they will trust them more and will be more comfortable to approach them for help and to give them information thus enhance efficient policing.
3. The police will try to compete and impress: there will be interstate competition between the different state police force(s), everyone would want to be cited as a good example.
4. Bribery and corruption will be minimized because the police officers would be known; nobody will like to be known as corrupt at home.
5. The police boss will report and take orders from the state governor, thus skipping the hurdle of paper pushing and associated delays.
6. The state governor will then appreciate and play his role as the chief security officer of the state.
7. That is the way it is done in other federations for instance the United states of America, India, Australia, South Africa, Britain.

Yet another advocate of state policing said that Nigeria with a population of about 160 million is too vast and can only be properly policed through state policing.
Also, state policing would reduce the rate of unemployment as more people would be recruited into the state police in proportion to the population of each state.
An immigration officer (names withheld) also votes for state policing but suggests there should still be a federal body that can step in when the state police cannot handle the situation just like the FBI of America. In his words, “step aside this is the FBI, it will be cool”.
DEMERITS OF STATE POLICE
The major argument on the opposing side is that Nigeria isn’t matured yet to practice state policing.
Dr Nnamdi, a medical practitioner had this to say; we are not yet matured politicians will hike jack it. State owned establishments are the most owed. The police will be made a private security firm to guard the high and mighty and secure politicians votes.
He further said that “Federal police system is best for now, our society is not operating on ideology yet, we are still at a sentimental stage not good for growth”.
A lawyer who pled to remain anonymous said aside the fear that politicians will use it to oppress their opponents, if the system fails or the state government is unable to pay or control them, then there is a huge risk of more sects like boko haram, massob etc being formed and this time they will be legally empowered.
A pharmacist and a business man, Mr Jonathan Amadi had this to say; “the issue of state policing might have some good sides but we don’t do anything right in this country. It will be hijacked by politicians and eventually lead to more chaos. It is easy to have a reform in one sector than in 37 centres”, he said.
Yet another security officer while disagreeing on the establishment of state police said we are not matured, our type of politics and politicians, religious and ethnic sentiments, illiteracy. He ended by saying it will lead to disintegtration of the nation instead of fostering peace and security.

Some other groups that disagree with the decentralization of the Nigeria police says States do not have the funds or the capabilities to handle state police. There are no good roads, no equipments, Nigeria doesn’t even have a data base, we do not know the people with criminal records, no correct Data of people that own arms and ammunitions, no good forensic labs. It will legalize thuggery, there will be oppression of the less privileged, thereby defeating the aim of democracy, it is the beginning of disintegration.

We are not taking sides in this article as both sides have made good points but we shall end with some questions:
*Who will the governors and commissioners of police report to, under what laws?
*How will the excesses be checked?
*What will be the basis for recruitment of new police officers?
*Why can’t we try Zonal police system first and see how it works out?
*If we keep saying, it’s not time, when will it ever be time, are we not just postponing the evil day?
* Are politicians not already hijacking the security system?
*How can we restore the dignity/integrity of the police system whether federal or state?

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