Security Challenges In Rivers State

Of all the major functions of a government, the security of its territory and the lives and property of its citizens rank topmost in the scale of preference.
This is clear because no government worth its name would toy with insurgents into its territory or criminals who tend to make internal security of citizens a nightmare.
Given this backdrop, every security lapse in any part of the country gives us yet another opportunity to reappraise the security situation nationwide and proffer suggestions toward curbing activities of criminals.
This is why the recent killings of Rivers indigenes in and around Rivers State gives cause for concern.
Just about two months ago the traditional ruler of Akpor Kingdom in Rivers State was brutally murdered in his residence by yet to be identified criminals. Even as the police claimed to be on top of the security situation in the state, so far nobody has been or is in the process of being prosecuted for the crime. This was quickly followed by the killing of the Chief Security Officer of the University of Port Harcourt, Choba.
As if these were not enough for the state, a top politician of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Charles Nsiegbe was gunned down in Port Harcourt by criminals still at large.
But as the police still ruminated on the way forward, the murderers shifted base, targeting Rivers sons when they undertook trips outside the state.
The first victims of this sinister ploy were a prominent chief and Nigeria’s former envoy to Uganda and Ukraine, Ambassador Ignatius Ajuru and his driver who were hit at Obehie in Abia State.
Coming at a time when youths in the Niger Delta region had embraced amnesty and turned in their weapons, these killings with sophisticated weapons should bother many peace-loving citizens.
Moreover, since Rivers State government prides itself as one government that supports the police both physically and psychologically, the killings of its citizens in cold blood while the perpetrators seem to go scot free is debilitating. For example, the state government had put down a one million naira donation to the family of any policeman who died in action. This is aside from supporting the police with state of the art vehicles and communication equipment to lighten their jobs, among other forms of encouragement. Hence our disenchantment with the situation whereby criminals go un-apprehended by the police in the state.
However, even as the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo recently said that no nation could totally eradicate crime, this new crime wave in the state makes nonsense of the contribution which the Rivers State government makes to crime fighting in the state.
This is why The Tide calls on the new police boss in the state, Mr. Suleiman Abba and other security agencies to rise to the challenge of checking the current spate of high profile killings in the state. This they could do by taking more proactive measures in future, and in addition, by bringing to book, perpetrators of some of these crimes to serve as deterrent to others.
We make this call because of our belief that the police could rise to the challenge given the level of encouragement provided by the government.
Moreover, government intention at hosting the ION Film Festival and the state CARNIRIV with a view to making a statement on the improved security situation would come to naught if criminals are never apprehended here. Now is the time for police to rise to the challenge of consolidating on the security gains achieved in the last few years by the Amaechi government.