By Bayo Osiyemi
Nothing gladdens my heart more this week than the legislative thumbs-down for the planned militarization of our society codenamed “Operation Positive Identification” by the military.
Insurgency, kidnapping, cyber crimes and other forms of criminality are more than a handful to engage the attention of our law enforcement agents; but to draft soldiers to peaceful towns and cities in search of cyber criminals, kidnappers, armed bandits and terrorists, is, to put it mildly, an attempt to launch unprovoked attack on honeycomb. The resultant effect is predictable that the honey bees will sting anyone in sight to their death.
If it is necessary at all, mobile police squadrons may be best suited for that, but not soldiers whose training does not permit the “peace-keeping” role we want to impose on them to play. They cannot, except we want to unwìttingly bring the brash and brutish operational methodology of soldiers to the public domain, with its attendant risk and consequence.
Where is that temperament for soldiers to be asking the pedestrian questions of who you are, what kind of work you do and such like questions when what they know how to be best at is to dominate their environment and intimidate members of the public, even with little or no provocation. With economic adversaries facing many, bringing soldiers to mingle with the public in an area policemen are best suited is ill thought out, ill-advised, absolutely unnecessary and counter-productive.
The idea should be perished and better panacea sought to rein in criminals and economic saboteurs in our midst.
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