There’s Political Unwillingness To Address The Crisis In Plateau State, Says Security Expert Kabiru Adamu

The Managing Director of Beacon Consulting Limited, a risk and security management firm in Nigeria, Kabiru Adamu has said that there is a political unwillingness to address the crisis in plateau state. 

Adamu, in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Sunday, said the government should not deny knowing the cause of the conflict in the northern state.

“From the 22nd of December to the 7th of January, that’s almost about two weeks, as far as I know, apart from the eight persons who were “arrested”, we have not been told how or what kind of evidences where gathered. I have heard from locals within plateau state and they are extremely doubtful about the authenticity of the fact that those persons that were arrested were the suspects. 

“So, that for me is number one. The inability of the criminal justice system to identify and then to arrest offenders. As far back as 1994, under the military era, there has been several administrative and judicial commissions of inquiry that have been set up to look into the crisis of plateau state. As far as I know, none of the reports of those commissions of inquiry has been implemented. 

“So, clearly there is a political unwillingness to address the challenge in Plateau state and tied to that is the inability of the law enforcement agency to carry out their work.”

The security expert also said there is a resurgence of violence across the country, adding that there was an increase of about 98% in the number of incidents from September 2023.

“The common threats that we are seeing in the attacks across the country is the activities of what I call Non-state armed groups. These are groups that are not constitutionally recognized, that have taken up arms and who are in essence, challenging the supremacy of the use of force by the state. In the North-west, they are called bandits. In the north central and to an extent, the north east, you will find them. They are often called terrorists. So, in essence that is the common threat across all the regions. 

“With regards to hat the database is saying, its several things. For example, we have been able to compare the number of incidents that have occurred this year and when you compare it with that of 2022, interestingly, I say this with all sense of responsibility, in the case of fatality, we have seen a decline of about 27 percent from around ten thousand that was recorded last year for the general overview. But then, if you look at some nominal values, it would be a little bit difficult to say this is a possibility of happiness or progress. 

“From around September, we saw an increase in the number of incidents to about 98 percent. We were recording around 700 deaths per month but by September, it picked to about a thousand and that is what it remained up until the end of the year in December where that figure of a thousand continued. The same thing for abduction. 

“We saw an increase of about seventy something percent in the case of abduction from month to month. So, clearly, there is a resurgence of violence across the country. Like I said, if you are comparing, just based on face value, between 2022 and 2023, there has been a reduction.”

He further stated that if Nigeria’s ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, work together to embrace co-operation, coordination and collaboration, there would be no security challenges in the country.

 “One of the things that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration did in November is to institutionalize executive order 13 into the administration. In other words, a performance management system is now in place and of course, tied to that management system, is the consequence management components. 

“So, from performance management, you will be able to know which minister is performing and which is not performing. We hope that there would be consequences and I am quite delighted that the individual that has been giving that responsibility to manage that system, Hajia Hadiza Bala, is someone that we know, at least, based on how she ran the ports authority, she is quite effective and efficient in her management style. We are hoping that we will also see that as she will head the central delivery coordination unit. 

“So, how does this affect the security sector? The administration, if you had looked at the renewed hope agenda, there are a couple of things that was mentioned which as a security practitioner and expert, I can say that they are quite good. For example, when it says its going to renew the military doctrine and philosophy, that’s quite good. We need a security sector reforms, especially for the military. 

“We also need additional manpower across all the sectors or sphere of security in the country. We also need improved equipment, welfare of the military, a special unit in the military to address banditry, improved border management, digitization of our identity. All of these are commendable but they are only on paper. So, if this performance management system that the administration has embraced is extended to the security sector, what I hope to see is the use of matrix. 

“It will help us in the performance management system where key performance indicator will be developed by Hajia Hadiza’s unit and then they will engage the security sector periodically and ask them in clear terms. Abduction was at this rate when you were appointed the inspector general of police. 

You have submitted a budget, you have asked for A,B,C and it has been given to you. How come abduction is still at this level? What are you going to do to reduce it?

“And then of course, the consequence management component will be where reasonable time and because security is very important to us, that reasonable time should not be more than six months. If at the end of six months we don’t see an improvement, that person should be changed. That’s my recommendation. 

“There are 29 MDAs that are involved in security in Nigeria. If those 29 are working together to embrace co-operation, coordination and collaboration, we are not going to sit around and complain about security.”

Chioma Kalu

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