Category: City Beats

A security expert, Dr Ona Ekhomu, has urged military authorities to change their strategies in their handling of captured Boko Haram members, saying they could be put to better use.

The “first chartered security professional in Nigeria” faulted the current policy of handing over captured terrorists to civilian criminal justice agencies where they are often released or escape to become a threat to citizens.

Ekhomu, who is the President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), said captured Boko Haram fighters should be detained in military facilities for interrogation and debriefing.

According to him, those of them who engaged in murders should be prosecuted and sentenced to death to serve as deterrent to others, while those cleared of heinous acts should be enrolled into the disarmament, de-radicalisation and reintegration (DDR) program.

Speaking in Atlanta, Georgia USA at the 60th Annual Seminar and Exhibits of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS International), Ekhomu said Nigeria needs America’s support to end insurgency.

He said the countries are fighting a common enemy and the terror networks such as ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, Ansar Dine, Jabhat Al Nusra, Khorasan, Talibans, among others.

“Nigeria needs special anti-terrorist rifles, attack helicopters, technical intelligence and training from the Americans in order to expedite defeat of the enemy,” he said.

He called for the sale of “fresh gear” or “the good stuff” to Nigeria’s military rather than donation of antiques which is a strategy of getting rid of scraps under the guise of “foreign aid.

Ekhomu said Boko Haram and ISIS were ideologically and operationally linked as seen by the sect’s land grab strategy in the Northeast and the declaration of the Islamic Caliphate of Gwoza , which were similar to the ISIS land grab in Syria and Iraq and declaration of Islamic Caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

He believes the allegations of human rights abuses against the military by Amnesty International were “untrue, exaggerated and unsubstantiated.”

Urging the US authorities to conduct independent verification of the “nonsensical allegations”, he described the Nigerian army as disciplined and focused on doing its job of defending Nigeria against internal and external enemies.

“Due to undue political interference, the military appears to be fighting with its hands tied behind its back,” he added.

He urged the political class to close ranks and demonstrate unity of purpose in the war on terror.

“Loose political statements made by ruling and opposition politicians are providing warrant for policies that are detrimental to Nigeria’s war on terror.  Every politician should rally around the flag and support the military in its mission to rout the enemy and win back Nigerian real estate occupied by elements of international terror,” he said.

Ekhomu also wants greater cooperation between Nigeria and the USA, maintaining that despite the fact that in a bipolar world, Nigeria had other options in terms of sources of arms supply, it preferred and cherished its long standing relationship with the United States.

The four-day international security conference had over 25,000 in attendance. The Nigerian delegation was the third largest after USA and Canada with over 200 people drawn from the military, oil and gas industry, intelligence services, banking, private security, state governments, telecommunications industry, federal agencies, manufacturing and religious organisations.

No ward off fire disasters among others, residents of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area have embraced the used of gas for cooking instead of charcoal and stove.

At the council’s secretariat venue of the distribution of free gas cylinders to them, they praised the Governor Babatunde Fashola-led government for the gesture, which they lauded as being economical and safer.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in the state, Mrs Regina Obasa, told the residents that Fashola conceived of the project as part of efforts to solve economic, health and environmental problems in the state.

She said Fashola was aiming at donating the cylinder to over one million residents of the state for a start, adding that “the governor would not rest on his oars until the state and its residents fully reap the dividends of the exercise.”

The council’s chief, Hon. Oladele Adekanye, who assisted Mrs Obasa to present the cylinders to some of the residents praised Fashola for the gesture, saying that it was a major milestone among the people-centred programmes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state in particular.

Leader of traders in the council area, Alhaja Basirat Balogun, described the gesture as exemplary, adding that it would further convinced Lagosians of government’s unflinching commitment to their wellbeing.

In line with the road traffic policy of the State government, Ride East Motorcycle Club (REMC) has urged both commercial and private motorcyclists in Lagos to adhere strictly to the rules of safety.

The group also appealed to other road-users to recognise the right of motorcyclists, as part of measures of ensuring safer rides on our roads.

Chairman of the association, Chibuzor Obi, said though there is currently no law on mandatory training for motorcyclists, all riders have a duty to observe basic safety rules, in their interest and that of other road-users.

Obi who said this during the one-year anniversary of REMC, observed that the Lagos Road Traffic Law insists only on license, but there is more that must be observed in the area of weight management, traction during braking and acceleration, slip angles, accident avoidance manoeuvers, and much more.

He said: “Motorcycles may be inherently less safe than cars are, but there are a lot of things motorcyclists and drivers in cars can do to keep everyone safe. That is where adequate sensitisation becomes very important.

“No one should be allowed to ride without knowing the safety tips of riding. We don’t want a situation where your brother, uncle or friend goes on a motorcycle and you are scared whether he would come back safe or not.

“The national body will coordinate associations of bikers nationwide, and also correct the wrong impression about bikers. Bikers have been seen as hooligans and never-do-wells. But we need to change that.

The club which was formed a year ago is aimed at changing the perception of the public about biking as well as introduced a new dimension of safety for bikers and other road users.