Recently, The Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), held its 31st edition of annual Lecture/Award series. The event took place at the Prestigious Providence Hotel, Oba Akinjobi way, Ikeja GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
The topic for Panel discussion was “Insecurity: Tacking the dark cloud over Nigeria’s Unity, prosperity ahead of the 2023 general elections”
It was a place to be. It was a beauty to behold. Every member of the over thirty years association was busy making sure that the invited guests and others at the event would have felt comfortable throughout the period of this epoch making occasion. And it was so.
Today, any average Nigerian could say with all air of authority that in the past few years insecurity in Nigeria has been on a sharp increase.
This rise in terrorism, banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping, unknown gunmen, hired assassinations coupled with harsh economic policies had made the threats to lives and properties of Nigerians alarming.
Insecurity: This is one word which captures the essence of the devaluation and desecration which our beloved country and we, its people, have been going through in recent times.
Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) knows its onion. Security experts and seasoned journalists were carefully selected to do justice to the topic, among them were CP Abiodun Alabi, commissioner of police, Lagos State, SP Lawal M. Audu, the officer in-charge of the Diplomatic section of Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, CPS Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force PRO Officer, Office of the IG, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Ms Victoria Ohaeri, publisher, the Detective Magazine, Dr. Bone Efozien, Strict Guard Security, Mr. Odita Sunday Udemaguna, erudite crime reporter/immediate past president of CRAN, Dr Babatunde Agbeyo, chairman of the occasion, among others.
Mounting the horse of memory and taking a few gallops back into Providence Hall, these gentlemen spoke intelligently on insecurity in Nigeria and the way forward. They all came to one conclusion that it was the responsibility of all Nigerians to make sure that the dark cloud does not cover the country. They equally surmised that there should be no fears in the 2023 general elections which was few months away. “There would be free, credible and fair elections” How?
According to the discussion, if we all have respect for the laws of the land. If the government provides all the logistics for the law enforcement agencies. If the citizens learn to work and be friendly with the security agencies. If the police could try to prevent politicians from using violence to achieve their aims. If the citizens could try to give timely and useful information to the security agencies. If the security agencies could try to remain neutral before, during and after the elections. “whoever wins should be supported by Nigerians” if the media could try to play the role of watch dog and be objective in their reportage. “After all, no story is worth your life” If the architecture of our security network could be redesigned for the police and other sister agencies to maintain internal security, intelligent gathering etc. If the Politicians could try to avoid hate speech. “Hate speech triggers wars, hate speech has destroyed countries – There were so many ifs.
In an exclusive interview with Community Policing Nigeria (an online security Magazine), CP Abiodun Alabi Commissioner of Police Lagos State, represented at the event by the Police spokes person, Lagos State, Benjamine Udeanyi, the Commissioner said “the elections is about the people. The police on their part, are working so hard to make sure that the elections would be free of violence” He added, “The large chunk of the credit goes to the people of Lagos State. We appeal to the good people of Lagos to continue to volunteers useful information” Earlier in his welcome address, president of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, Mr. Olalekan olabulo, said it was an understatement to say that any part of Nigeria was totally safe. According to Olabulo, “Those of us in the South West Nigeria used to have erroneous belief that Yoruba is safe until the massacre at Owo, Ondo State Catholic Church and many kidnapping incidents in all the Yoruba States. It is now dawn on us that no part of the country is safe”
Andy Ennette
www.communitypolicing.com.ng