A few weeks ago, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the removal of all the military checkpoints put in place nationwide in the wake of the onslaught by the Boko Haram sect.
The President, who gave the directive during a meeting with the service chiefs, noted that the decision was meant to eradicate the hardships being experienced by commuters and motorists due to the existence of the checkpoints. Since then,
Nigerians have received the decision with mixed feelings in view of the increased and recent attacks carried out by suicide bombers in many cities of the North such as those that occurred in Kaduna, Borno, Plateau and Yobe states, thereby fuelling fears that the insurgents might have exploited the opportunity of the checkpoint removal to launch further attacks on the nation.
Those against the dismantling feel that the reversal would encourage terrorists, bandits and criminal-minded persons to have a field day in terms of unhindered movement, hence further jeopardising the already parlous security situation in the country, while others are of the opinion that it was a wrong move to keep the checkpoints for a number of reasons. The first argument in support of the removal is that it would ease traffic on major routes by reducing the untold hardship such checkpoints often caused road users. This position also tallies with the rationale given by the presidential order. Secondly, it is believed that the presence or absence made little security difference as the operatives never engaged in any thorough search that could lead to the arrests and seizure of arms. Rather, Boko Haram members were believed to have variously attacked checkpoints, killed operatives and carted away arms and ammunition.
Thirdly, heavy presence of the soldiers on the roads is said to create an impression that the country is still under a military rule, which should be seen as an aberration under a civil democracy. Driving past a series of checkpoints manned by soldiers is considered odd, except for a nation that is mired in a deep turbulence.Honestly, the removal order by President Buhari is understandable based on the imperative of making the movement of road users less cumbersome. The job of internal security actually belongs to the police since the military have enough to cope with in safeguarding the sovereignty of the nation but the truth is that the Nigeria Police Force, as presently constituted, is incapable of providing adequate internal security for the nation. It is logical to advise that in trying to ameliorate the suffering of the people, though laudable, the government should not be seen as throwing away the baby with the bath water.
Therefore, the complete removal of the military from the responsibility of internal security appears too sudden and dangerous for the country. If this would have to be done, it is better to make it a gradual process.
Many vulnerable flash points still remain in several parts of the country that cannot be left unprotected without the military. We should realise that the reason why military operatives were involved in internal security in the first place may not be too far from the fact that the police had to contend with the challenge of adequate personnel and their inability to effectively protect lives and property, especially with the introduction of terrorism into the nation’s security landscape. Hence, no vacuum should be created with the removal of checkpoints such that insurgents would deceptively take advantage of the situation to further launch more deadly attacks.
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