The Police/Navy clash in Calabar

CALABAR, the capital of Cross River State, recently shed its legendary serenity when ratings from the naval base apparently lost control in a moment of reckless rage and sacked the Akim police station in the city.  In what was actually a reprisal that once again highlighted the tense relationship among the country’s security agencies, Calabar was nearly turned into a state of nature, a security breach that could have disturbed the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s recent visit to the state.

A policeman working at the traffic section in the state was reported to have had an altercation with some young naval ratings, which sparked a row that degenerated into a mindless inter-agency violence and caused the loss of lives and the destruction of the police station at Akim in the city after the men of the Navy set it alight. Some policemen were reported to have died and many more wounded in the ensuing violence, while a naval rating was equally wounded. Governor Ben Ayade had to visit the scene to ensure the return of peace and calm ahead of the visit of the Acting President. According to the governor, “The whole area is calm after the unfortunate incident that arose from a misunderstanding between the police and the Navy. The senior officers were quite proactive by intervening fast to arrest the situation.”

It would seem that all the various divisions of the military have been consistently supercilious in relating with the police in civil matters and this condescension was taken to its peak in the Calabar episode. In the narrative in the media, the policeman who dared to demand compliance with traffic rules from the naval men only drew their ire. The ratings secured the cooperation of their colleagues to visit the Akim police station to settle scores. The reprisal unfortunately took the lives of innocent policemen who were not privy to the “insult” that the errant naval men had received from the policeman in the traffic and for which they had sought revenge. This trend has persisted for a long time in the relationship between the police and other arms of the security agencies and the elementary wisdom that two wrongs don’t make a right regularly eludes them without fail.

But why do the military resent any correction from the police? Why do the military officers and men consider the admonitions from the police in civil matters as an insult when the police are statutorily responsible for security in civil matters? And why do they seem to get the endorsement of their superior officers? If the superior officers had been able to control their men, perhaps the trend would have been checked. In the recent Calabar episode, Governor Ayade had visited the Akim police station in company with the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa and the Commander of the NNS Ship Victory, Commodore Salihu Jubrin, whose officers and men had authored the mayhem.

The commander stated that an investigation would be carried out and the culprits fished out and appropriately dealt with. However, Nigerians are familiar with this hackneyed tune. To date, the military men have not been called to order and the incessant hostilities among the security agencies have not stopped. Things never get worse for any nation than to have the security agencies at the base of most, if not all, of its security breaches. It is sad that the superior officers in the military have failed to inculcate civil behaviour in their men. Indeed, the hallmarks of discipline and professionalism identified with these security agencies are fast eroding. The destruction of the Akim police station by the rampaging naval men has to be accounted for. Arson was committed by the naval men acting outside legitimate command and order. Again, the culprits must be charged for murder. Until these bandits in uniforms are made to answer for their deeds, the ideal of returning discipline and professionalism to the country’s military will remain a pipe dream.

The foregoing does not, however, excuse the undisciplined behaviour of the police, both in traffic and out of it. It is certainly true that the police routinely and whimsically harass and arrest motorists for no just cause, which accounts for the apparent happiness of motorists and even the general citizenry whenever soldiers unleash violence on them. Even while it must be admitted that the naval men implicated in the Calabar tragedy acted criminally, we are by no means suggesting that the police are exemplary in their relations with members of the public. We believe firmly that law enforcement and civility are not mutually exclusive.