Uses And Abuses Of The Military

Apologists of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nigerian Army in different towns and villages across the country advance the simplistic argument that the army is trained to kill and destroy thus justifying the havoc wrecked by them on the pretext of restoing normalcy in troubled spots. Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other top government functionaries often do not find it demeaning to rely on such hollow argument.

Usually, they even threatened repeat performances whenever it became necessary to quell inter-ethnic or inter-religious or internecine conflicts.

What this means is that whoever authors an infraction of tranquility which warrant restoration of peace and harmony no matter how small, should expect the visitation of the army and the consequences of summary and indiscriminate elimination of men, women and children and the massive destruction of properties. If this kind of reasoning is taken to  its logical conclusion, it could be asserted that whoever orders the army to descend on fellow Nigerians being fully aware that their limited and severely circumscribed training only equips them to kill and destroy, could be said to have deliberately sanctioned the crime or are active accomplices of wanton and premeditated killings without ecourse to due process.

There are quite an array of security agencies in Nigeria, each with well defined functions and responsibilities but it is baffling that the government itself often refuses to recognise the demarcated duties and responsibilities of these agencies. Or else why would soldiers be drafted in Port Harcourt to be at the site of a drainage construction? Why would soldiers be asked to control difficult traffic situations? Why would soldiers guard individuals like former governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha who was recently seen at Tema in ASALGA LGA of Rivers State at a funeral function? The list is endless. Where is the police in all of these?

The Nigerian Police has the statutory duty of maintaining law and order, preventing and detecting crimes, effecting arrest of suspected criminals where necessary, and prosecuting offenders in the courts. Had the police been allowed to discharge its duties particularly in containing minor skirmishes, lives and properties would have been saved that had been otherwise lost. Instead the authorities would prefer to assign such duties to the army even though they see the army as an incendiary which should never be involved in fire fighting realising that an incendiary can never douse a conflagration.

The police by their training could ascertain issues in contention and determine whether or not a crime has been committed and by whom. Thereafter arrest could be made and prosecution following. This is the civilised approach which is quite consistent with international democratic norms in conflict management. But when the army is used, they achieve nothing other than killing innocent citizens of this country.

This adventurousness of the army clearly exhibits a low level competence because no well-trained, disciplined and professionally competent army would flaunt its military prowess against unarmed innocent Nigerians. Besides, the scenario creates image problem for the army.

Those Nigerians who watched the proceedings of the Human Rights Abuses Commission headed by Justice C. Oputa, particularly during its sitting in Lagos and Port Harcourt were shocked on learning of the sheer insensitivity and uncanny attitude of the military men who routinely killed, tortured and destroyed or expropriated properties of hapless Nigerians. We also saw how thse military men who appeared before the commission showed brazen arrogance and were quite condescending in their responses and never showed any signs of remorse. Some of their tormentors who were alive to recount their ordeals were dismissed by their tormentors as irresponsible trouble makers who deserved what they got. It is therefore difficult to see how men like them could exercise objectivity and fairmindedness in conflict situation. Besides, the myriad of atrocities committed by military men have brought to the fore not only loss of focus on their part but also the urgent need to re-orientate and re-organise our armed forces.

Happily, the military authorities have realised this and are planning to down size the military and instill professionalism in them. When the planned professionalism of the military is accomplished, then their functions will no longer be limited to killing and destroying properties of peace-loving Nigerians. Until that is seen, the much vaunted competence of our military at the moment is either an invention or grossly exaggerated.

Let the police be properly trained in handling difficult situations. It will continue to be counter-productive to be unleashing the military, time after time again, on fellow Nigerians. Let our government and military authorities be advised that whenever a crime is committed or the peace is threatened, the police should be made to discharge. Their statutory responsibilities of investigating covertly or overtly, and apprehending and prosecuting the offenders.

The extra-judicial killings of hapless Nigerians by the military must not continue.

The authorities must realise that the continuous use of the military particularly the army in conflict situations violates the rule of law which is a ‘sine qua non’ in a democracy.

Arnold Alalibo