A Peacebuilding think tank, Foundation for Peace Professionals also known as PeacePro has called on the federal government to immediately decentralize policing in Nigeria to curtail the spate of overwhelming violence that has consumed the centralized policing structure in the country.
PeacePro explained that, there’s nothing the current centralized policing structure can do to prevent the magnitude of organized violence in rural communities, adding that the federal government must now decentralize security or watch the country go up in flames.
“There’s no other options, we must decentralize policing or surrender to none state actors until we are eventually overwhelmed”
In a statement over the weekend in Ilorin, reacting to the unfortunate tragedy in Plateau State that has so far claimed over 200 lives, the executive director of PeacePro, Amb. Abdulrazaq Hamzat expressed reservation with federal government none proactive approach to issues of security in rural areas of the country.
According to Hamzat, we are sad with the development in Plateau State where organized local criminals descended on innocent people and reck havoc on them in the most dehumanizing manner, but this tragedy could have been avoided, if the federal government has been proactive with the issue of security in rural Nigeria.
Hamzat explained that, it is no longer news that there are too many ungoverned spaces in Nigeria, where organized and well sponsored none state actors operate as lords, and these spaces has become training grounds for all kinds of terrorists, mercenaries and bandits.
“The systematic organization, unhindered supply and availability of high grade fire arms as well as sustainable funding in the hands of these none state actors cannot be threatened by occasional federal security clearance, operations and patrol and this is well known to the federal government and all concerned stakeholders in the country “
Hamzat maintained that, only the decentralization of policing can address the challenge, but unfortunately, the federal government and all those with vested interest are unwilling to execute the generally acceptable solution to the security challenges in the country.
PeacePro therefore called on the federal government to do the needful by decentralizing policing, instead of issuing threats and condolences endlessly.
It also urges the National Assembly to lead the process of facilitating the decentralization of policing, saying only a decentralized security architecture can arrest insecurity in Nigeria.
It concluded by extending its condolences to the Plateau State Government and those affected by the tragic incident.
