Nigerians, businesses groan under throes of mounting insecurity
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| Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja recently bombed by Boko Haram, an Islamic sect |
The climate of uncertainty in Nigeria recently took a wider dimension. The mounting spate of bombings and violence turned a corner two weeks ago with the introduction of suicide bombing; a dangerous trend that had before now remained alien in the nation’s index of social crimes. The incidence of June 16, 2011 where the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters was bombed, has been seen by many as a daring assault not only on the nation’s intelligence but a spointer to the fact that no one is safe.
The action, it is believed, is one attack that has jolted even the security network revealing its lapses despite official warning. The terrorist it was reported, tore through the police headquarters, killing many and destroying over 74 vehicles in a carnage said to have been targeted at the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim.
Though the terrorist failed to snuff life out of the police boss, it was not so with others who fell victim to the attack. What is worrisome to most Nigerians is the confidence and arrogance with which Boko Haram, the religious sect, has claimed responsibility for the dastardly act.
Also hours after the news of the suicide bomber beat the security network to bomb the police headquarters, another bomb planted by the same Boko Haram sect exploded and killed four children and two others in Damboa, Borno state. In recent months, this militant Islamic group has been in the forefront of attacks on the country’s military and civilian population with the attacks centered in its stronghold of Maiduguri.
Prior to the latest Abuja blast, Boko Haram, a religious sect that had unleashed mayhem in Maiduguri, Borno state and neighbouring states like Kano and Kaduna, had threatened that it would cause more havoc on the nation’s security arrangement. The group incidentally carried out its threat, infuriating Nigerians who now bitter not only with the security agencies but on President Jonathan-led government over security lapses.
Until now, such occurrence had been associated with distant lands such as Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle-East, among others. However, with the turn of events, suicide bombing, to the chagrin of Nigerians, has been introduced into the new wave of violence, sending panic in the camp of Nigerians across the country.
Since bombing began to assume alarming proportion in various parts of the country, innocent citizens have increasingly become targets of bomb attacks by terrorists. It has seemingly become a regular trend; multiple blasts rocking the nation, living in their trail tears and blood from victims and their relations. Incidentally, while the merchants of death appear to be having their way, no one has so far been tried and convicted on the matter.
As the twin evil of bombing and kidnapping wreck the land, Nigerians are worried that the country is gradually slipping inexorably into a state of social instability which would not only scare away potential investors but could further affect business activities across the country.
Reacting to the effect of insecurity to investments in the country especially on property investment, Bode Adediji, President, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) said that anywhere in the world, a state of insecurity remain a threat not only to existing property investment, but also and more importantly to future investment initiative. Adediji stated that this is so because property is a huge and long term investment that requires a lot of planning, capital and confidence for it to be quantified.
“When people feel unsecured, their appetite to invest, their appetite to buy or rent from the product of investment get smaller and that is why all over the world, any country that radiates an environment of insecurity naturally repels investment initiatives from the international community as well as from their own local investors.”
The President NIESV stated that with the current level of insecurity, more investors billed for Nigeria may chose to relocate their investments to other locations bearing in mind that such has been the trend a few years ago.
“As a matter of fact, if care is not taken, the way the level of insecurity in the country is going, it may infact lead to divestment by local people and when you view that against the fact that even the international community have begun the process of divestment from Nigeria in the last couple of years preferring such locations as Ghana and South Africa, then the entire picture both in the short term and in the long term becomes worrisome. That is the picture of the national insecurity on the investment climate vis- a-vis property sector,” Adediji bemoaned.
Lending his view, Oche Austin, a banker in one of the new generation banks disclosed that generally, insecurity is a bane of investments as investors will put into consideration the issue of security first before considering the infrastructure in place. Oche noted that many people are jittery and may be scared to put their money into the economy right now until the whole crisis of insecurity is over or guaranteed by the government.
“Some people are jittery and are scared because even at home, you can be kidnapped once you are identified by these kidnappers. Moreover, the resurgence of kidnapping is like the “419” scourge which will eventually fizzle out overtime,” Oche concluded.
Also x-raying the rising insecurity in the country, Tunji Ajibade, a public affairs analyst, said that it seemed like a joke on the nation that the bombing took place at the Police Force headquarters. While stating that the Nigerian Police focuses much effort on physical security, which meant its measures are designed to deny access to unauthorized personnel (including attackers) from physically accessing a building or facility, Ajibade however noted that globally, the method of ensuring physical security has changed overtime and the technology used has also changed.
In his words “The technology has changed. Now there are things such as passive infrared (PIR) based technology, electronic access control systems, or video surveillance system (VSS) cameras. Was there any of these at the entry point into the premises of the Nigeria Police Force headquarters when the suicide bomber came visiting?
“Ultimately, good physical security should make it too difficult, risky or costly for an attacker to attempt an intrusion. This did not happen at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters. And it therefore makes a call for a complete overhaul of the nation’s security system and orientation necessary. This is because increased insecurity in the country will affect business investment and this must not be as the country continues in its quest to become one of the twenty leading economics by the year 2020,” Ajibade stated.
Aside the issue of bombing which continues to rear its ugly head, the spate of kidnapping which initially nosedived following the intervention of the security agencies in the country, has continued to rise especially in the southern part of the country.
The economic implication is that business activities are affected by kidnapping, especially high profile business activities as kidnappers don’t kidnap newspaper vendor or motor mechanics; they kidnap somebody who owns a factory or who is capable of bringing millions that they normally demand. Most recent is the kidnapping and eventual release of five corps members who recently passed out in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The worrisome situation is that if industries close shops and investors are no longer forthcoming because of insecurity, then the future, particularly that of the youths should agitate the minds of everybody.
It will be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan said what that portends for Nigeria was that the country’s armed forces must be ready to confront new and erratic adversaries in the defence of their sovereignty and way of life. President Jonathan had noted that apart from alleviating poverty, building infrastructure, consolidating on the gains of democracy and economic development, security of life and property, the internal and external dangers to Nigeria would always remain uppermost with his administration.
As usual, the President promised that his administration would develop the capability of the country’s armed forces and other security agencies, in addition to enhancing the welfare of their personnel for improved performance. Such exercise, he had promised, would provide ‘an economically, socially stable and truly democratic Nigeria where security of life and property will be guaranteed.’ Looking back however, critics are of the opinion that Jonathan seems not to have translated his promises into action to ensure security of lives and property in the land.
Lending his view, Adediji urged government at all levels to look deeper into the root of insecurity and proffer fundamental and long lasting solutions to them. Adediji stated that it will be totally unpatriotic of anybody either in government to pretend as if he or she does not know why we have this serious insecurity situation in the country.
“If politicians are behind the spate of this reckless and sporadic violence then, it is time for Nigerians to talk. You cannot govern a country through the gateway of destruction. Power is transient, you have today, you lose it to somebody else tomorrow but the nation continues. I will urge the government to take a dispassionate look at the fundamental causes of these violent eruptions in certain parts of the country and reassure not only Nigerians but the entire international community that this country in my own opinion is a potentially great country. We are only passing through some temporary setbacks. We should not allow this violence to actually destabilize the country on a large scale.
For John Idumange, Deputy President, Niger Delta Integrity Group, “Mr. President should acknowledge the failure of the security agencies hence there should be a complete overhaul of the Security Agencies in the county to pre-empt these security breaches. In particular, the failure of the intelligence services to contain the recurring security breaches. The spate of bombings has once more brought to limelight the need for Sovereign National Conference.
“Until these structural distortions and anomalies are addressed, the monster of insecurity will loom large and Nigeria will once more be listed as a terrorist nation. Mr. President has to act decisively to execute his office, and this can be achieved by implementing the anti-terrorism law and punish culprits of such heinous crimes capable of causing instability in the nation,” Idumange concluded.
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