Security crises: Fear grips A’Ibom residents as CSO, others blame govt

Fear has enveloped Akwa Ibom State as gunmen believed to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) continue to unleash its militia wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN) on policemen and other security agencies.

Several police formations in Essien Udim, Ika, Ikono, Abak and Ini local government areas have had no fewer than 15 operatives killed since April.

Worried by the problem, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) has blamed the state government, for negligence in the area of security.

The organisation noted that lack of security surveillance and intelligence were responsible for security breaches and challenged the administration to show proof  of the CCTV cameras it claimed to have been planted at border communities across the state.

The executive director, COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peace Building, Saviour Akpan, who threw the challenge while speaking to newsmen in Uyo, said such technology would have assisted the state in the  fight against the frequent attacks on security formations in the state.

Akpan who is also the national chairman, Network of Police Reform in Nigeria, blamed the frequent attacks on stations and murder of police officers,  across the state on poor management of security information made available to the police by members of the public.

He traced the foundation of the police crisis in Nigeria to accumulated lacuna by successive governments whom he said failed to listen to civil liberty voices, a situation which he said alienated Nigeria security forces from the civil populace.

“What is happening in Nigeria did not start today. It is an accumulated lacuna which successive governments in Nigeria have failed to listen with regards to matters of safety and security in Nigeria.

“Over the years, we have been talking with the security forces, tasking them on how best they could  put in place security that can endanger public trust, but that has been seriously neglected and the outcome is what we are having today, where members of the public are witnessing attacks on police formations and killings of police officers of which I have personally started a campaign on,” he said.

The former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Victor Iyanam, while reacting to the recent attacks on police stations, blamed the ineffectiveness of security formations in the country on lack of men on ground, adding that the few available policemen have been distributed to politicians.

Iyanam who drummed support for agitation for state police said such would allow the states effectively control their security personnel.

“The Federal system has failed. The police have changed focus to only operations, no more intelligence. Even the DSS should provide intelligence to the police and Army. Intelligence needs funding,” he said.

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