Clash over IDPs’ rice

•Military and police authorities should probe the soldiers/police imbroglio

What was supposed to be a gesture meant to bring relief to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State turned out to be a battle ground with the shameful activities of soldiers and policemen fighting over what did not belong to them – the IDPs’ rice, on June 23.  The food items were provided for the IDPs by the Borno State Government for the Ramadan.

Permanent Scretary, Government House and Security, Mr. Ahmed Sanda, had on June 19 begun the distribution of rice, semovita, etc. to internally displaced persons living in the host communities of Maiduguri and Jere metropolis.  The distribution was to take place in 28 wards of the local government areas.

Unfortunately, when it came to the turn of the old Maiduguri ward for Jere Local Government Area at Shehuri North Ward on June 19, hoodlums overpowered the committee and made away with bags of rice meant for the displaced persons.  As a result of this, officials in charge of the distribution shifted the exercise to two premises around the office of the deputy governor, outside the Government House, for the purpose of ensuring adequate security of the food items while “the beneficiaries were identified with allocation notes to give them access to the distribution centres”.

This arrangement had been going smoothly since June 19 before the soldiers and policemen struck on June 23.  The policeman was reportedly injured when a soldier shot him in anger “for not allowing a truck being used by some soldiers to pass a barricade to the distribution centre”.  It was also learnt that soon after, thousands of men, women, young and old, had gathered and distribution started while the police barred vehicles from entering the venue, except “those on special permission”.

But as soon as the distribution started, “soldiers in the truck appeared, insisting on driving into the place where the items were being shared, but were resisted by the policemen who insisted on the truck turning back.” That was what led to the argument that caused the soldier to pull his gun and fired at the injured policeman.  The situation would have degenerated but for the intervention of the Commander of Operation Lafiya Bole, Major-General Lucky Irabor, the Borno State Attorney General, Kaka Shehu Lawan, the state police commissioner and the Director of Department of State Services (DSS).  Major-General Irabor described the situation as “shameful and highly unbecoming of uniformed officers”.

The incident is ridiculous and shameful.  It is abominable because the rice that these security men were fighting over was meant for people that every reasonable person should sympathise with, having been displaced from their homes, owing to no fault of theirs but that of Boko Haram insurgents.  In effect, the greed of these security men who wanted to help themselves by their aborted attempts to corner for themselves the food meant to alleviate the suffering of the displaced persons should elicit wide condemnation by well-meaning citizens. This is a fallout of the culture of entitlement in the land.

Indeed, it is a situation like this that compounds the problems of IDPs. In the tragic circumstances, they should be helped by the society, including these security men, to ameliorate their suffering as well as to assist them get back to their normal lives.

We are happy that the army and the police “are jointly investigating the cause of the fracas with a view to ensuring that anyone found culpable among the security men is made to face disciplinary measures in line with laid down rules of the Nigerian Armed Forces”.  We advise that this step be taken as soon as possible as the nation is very much troubled by the incident that is capable of denting its image in the international community.

A situation where our security officers would pull the trigger at the slightest provocation is uncalled-for. The police and military authorities should, in line with their promise, investigate this bizarre and certainly most shameful incident, and those found culpable dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others.