Jackson Lekan Ojo, a security expert and fellow of the International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS), speaks with DANIEL AKEJU about the security situation in the country; the face-off between the Senate and the Presidency over the Director-General of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Economic and Finacial Crimes boss, Ibrahim Magu and the 2018 election in Osun State. Excerpts:
THERE were different views on the position of the Senate that the Customs boss, Hameed Ali, should wear his uniform before he would be allowed to appear before it. As a security expert, what is your take on the situation?
On the issue of Customs boss, if I have to advise, it is even better that the man is not wearing uniform, because Customs is a very sensitive institution in Nigeria. If any serious Customs boss really wants to do without corruption, without taking bribes and other things, his life, at times, is at risk. If not wearing uniform is the singular thing they can do to avoid him being recognised in the crowd, I think it is better.
Right from the inception, Hameed Ali has not worn uniform and the House of Representatives knew this; the executive knew this and Senate knew too. The Nigerians they are all serving also knew this. Why is it now that they want to raise eyebrow? In a tenure of four years and for two years, somebody has been doing something you know is an aberration and contravenes the law, if there is any law like that, you ignored him. You did not talk to him. Is it now that the Senate is waking up that the man should put on uniform? What does the uniform have to do with the performance in the office? If this man is performing well, what are we talking about? Even when General Babangida was the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and military president there were times he would go to functions, he would not wear uniform. There were times Abacha did not put on uniform. What has uniform got to do with output and performance of a person? To me, the Senate knows what it is looking for.
By next month, the Muhammadu Buhari administration will be two years in office, how will you rate the security situation in the country under his leadership?
I want to give kudos to Mr. President, he has won the war against Boko Haram. My kudos goes to the vice-president too. During the time he was acting, he did a lot of things too. All the military chiefs and the soldiers, we must appreciate them. But one thing is these things have to be followed systematically; there was a time it was gun for gun. The period of gun for gun has gone. What we need to do now is not gun for gun; there is no territory in the North-East that is directly under the flag of Boko Haram. The remaining war is an intelligence war. We have not discovered the source of their finances, the source of information and feeding ammunition. I’m still saying that our borders in the northern Nigeria are still porous. So it is not as if we have killed all the Boko Haram. The only thing we have been able to do now is that we have been able to scatter them. Where have they fled to? Most of them are in Lagos, most of them are in Kano, Kaduna; they just moved to any save haven. But the means of their communication is still there. When they were leaving that zone, did they drop their ammunition? No. Where are their ammunition? Their ammunition must be somewhere or kept somewhere. These people will still be regrouping, because they are still communicating and by the time we relax, we will now see them. They may not gather in the North-East again; they could go to any other part of the country. When you talk of Fulani herdsmen, I don’t want to see Fulani herdsmen as Fulani herdsmen, I grew up with Fulani herdsmen in my village. I now tell you that the Boko Haram members that have been dislodged are now spread everywhere, and whenever they see themselves, they regroup and start to fight again and we call them Fulani herdsmen. Who are these Fulani herdsmen? They are Boko Haram members
But some Nigerians criticised the Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose for coming down heavily on Fulani herdsmen…
In this aspect, I think I see Fayose as a pacesetter. When Fayose brought that policy, it was condemnable everywhere, but I know that what Fayose did that time was a policy to deter the people from coming to Ekiti. Does that mean he hates the Fulani? He does not hate the Fulani and the herdsmen. If others are toeing this line, I think it is good. The South-West Governors’ Forum was inaugurated and all the Yoruba states’ governors are members, irrespective of their different political divide, so I think this is an issue they should discuss; the security of people should be paramount to them.
and then