Kabba jailbreak and a society without consequences

THE early hours of Sunday, penultimate week, witnessed a massive attack on the medium security correctional facility in Kabba, Kogi State. Hundreds of inmates were set free by the rampaging gunmen who overpowered the guards on duty. Following the dastardly incident, the Kogi State governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, claimed that the jailbreak was orchestrated by some disgruntled politicians who were intent on breaching the security of the state. This submission should be thoroughly interrogated by the security agencies and its veracity or otherwise established. There have been reports of the rearrest of some of the freed inmates,  but the security agencies need to widen their investigative dragnet and ensure that all the inmates on the loose are recaptured and brought back into the facility. They must also intensify the search for the perpetrators of the incident.

It is noteworthy that the Kabba jailbreak came on the heels of the recent massive pressure on bandits in Zamfara State by the Nigerian military. The unknown gunmen who freed the inmates reportedly stormed the facility armed with detonators. Surely, the crime was not perpetrated by regular criminals. The fact that Nigeria is currently under the siege of bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and felons of different hues is really concerning, and the authorities must take the battle to them if they are interested in arresting the climate of fear and apprehension prevalent across the country. Truth be told, the various security lapses being experienced in the country are a culmination of the serial lack of consequences for crime and criminals. For a long time, crime has been perpetrated with impunity, especially by political actors.

In the process of nation building, successive administrations have arguably neglected to do something most crucial, which is to make felons pay for their crimes. For as long as the authorities demur from doing this, for so long will development, peace and security continue to elude the country. It is important to get the escaped prisoners from the Kogi State correctional facility back inside its walls, but far more important is the need to address the security lapses that enabled the jailbreak.

It is worrisome, indeed  disturbing, that the country’s establishment continues to treat these infractions with kid gloves, inexorably giving the impression that it is deliberately complicit in the massive instability in which the country is mired. Also, the lack of interest in apprehending felons suggests that there is really no government in charge of affairs. In saner climes, felons are not given a free ticket to do whatever pleases them, without any repercussions. It is imperative to reiterate the need for the government to recognise and place premium on the sanctity of human lives and property regardless of socioeconomic status. The security lapses and infractions are just too many and cannot be condoned any further. The government has to show that it is in charge. It is unwise to continue to allow bandits who have brought down fighter jets, invaded schools and military formations, used detonators to break into jails, and shed blood at will, to operate with impunity.

Any further condonation of crime will confirm that the sovereignty of the Nigerian State has been willingly handed over to criminals.

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