A military checkpoint
A
few weeks ago, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the removal of all
the military checkpoints put in place nationwide in the wake of the
onslaught by the Boko Haram sect. The President, who gave the directive
during a meeting with the service chiefs, noted that the decision was
meant to eradicate the hardships being experienced by commuters and
motorists due to the existence of the checkpoints. Since then, Nigerians
have received the decision with mixed feelings in view of the increased
and recent attacks carried out by suicide bombers in many cities of the
North such as those that occurred in Kaduna, Borno, Plateau and Yobe
states, thereby fuelling fears that the insurgents might have exploited
the opportunity of the checkpoint removal to launch further attacks on
the nation.
Those
against the dismantling feel that the reversal would encourage
terrorists, bandits and criminal-minded persons to have a field day in
terms of unhindered movement, hence further jeopardising the already
parlous security situation in the country, while others are of the
opinion that it was a wrong move to keep the checkpoints for a number of
reasons. The first argument in support of the removal is that it would
ease traffic on major routes by reducing the untold hardship such
checkpoints often caused road users. This position also tallies with the
rationale given by the presidential order. Secondly, it is believed
that the presence or absence made little security difference as the
operatives never engaged in any thorough search that could lead to the
arrests and seizure of arms. Rather, Boko Haram members were believed to
have variously attacked checkpoints, killed operatives and carted away
arms and ammunition.
Thirdly, heavy presence of the soldiers
on the roads is said to create an impression that the country is still
under a military rule, which should be seen as an aberration under a
civil democracy. Driving past a series of checkpoints manned by soldiers
is considered odd, except for a nation that is mired in a deep
turbulence.
Honestly, the removal order by President
Buhari is understandable based on the imperative of making the movement
of road users less cumbersome. The job of internal security actually
belongs to the police since the military have enough to cope with in
safeguarding the sovereignty of the nation but the truth is that the
Nigeria Police Force, as presently constituted, is incapable of
providing adequate internal security for the nation. It is logical to
advise that in trying to ameliorate the suffering of the people, though
laudable, the government should not be seen as throwing away the baby
with the bath water.
Therefore, the complete removal of the
military from the responsibility of internal security appears too sudden
and dangerous for the country. If this would have to be done, it is
better to make it a gradual process.
Many vulnerable flash points still remain
in several parts of the country that cannot be left unprotected without
the military. We should realise that the reason why military operatives
were involved in internal security in the first place may not be too
far from the fact that the police had to contend with the challenge of
adequate personnel and their inability to effectively protect lives and
property, especially with the introduction of terrorism into the
nation’s security landscape. Hence, no vacuum should be created with the
removal of checkpoints such that insurgents would deceptively take
advantage of the situation to further launch more deadly attacks
11:04
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