Senators,
members of the House of Representatives and the state Houses of Assembly have
devised various means to keep safe and protect themselves in the wake of rising
cases of kidnapping of eminent citizens, including politicians.
Just three
weeks ago, a lawmaker from Kano State, Mr. Garba Umar-Durbunde, was kidnapped
by gunmen along the Abuja-Kaduna Road, after which he reportedly paid N10m
ransom to secure his freedom.
Senator
Jonah Jang’s aide was killed by kidnappers last weekend and it was said that
the former Plateau State governor was the target.
Investigations
by Saturday PUNCH showed that one of the strategies adopted by many federal
lawmakers was to lie low to avoid being identified in public and drawing
attention to themselves.
It was
learnt that many senators and House of Representatives’ members no longer use
official number plates on their vehicles in a bid to keep starring eyes in
check.
For
instance, a member of the House of Representatives, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, disclosed that in the past, it was prestigious and fashionable for
legislators to use their official number plates but not anymore because of the
level of insecurity in the country.
The member
asked, “Look around, how many members do you see using their number plates with
‘Rep’ boldly written and displayed?
“Before now,
it was fashionable to do so. The number plates could open the way for you
because it identified you as a VIP; but not anymore because of security
concerns.
“These days,
people do not want to be identified as lawmakers. When a member uses the
official number plate, you will find out that it will be covered.
“Covering
the plates ordinarily means that they are not riding in the vehicles, but the
truth is that they are there in them.
“Generally,
they want to keep a low profile. Some prefer that they are not noticed at all
than for them to be noticed with a retinue of policemen, which draws
attention.”
A senator,
who also spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being identified as a
target by kidnappers, confirmed that some of his colleagues had also stopped
using their official number plates for security reasons, saying “everyone is
being careful not to draw attention to themselves because kidnapping is on the
increase and you can’t know who is good and who is planning evil.”
The lawmaker
representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Senator Adesoji Akanbi, told
Saturday PUNCH that inasmuch as he was not keen on going about with his
personal security detail, the rising spate of insecurity in the country,
especially kidnappings of rich and prominent Nigerians for ransom, had changed
his view.
Akanbi said
he had stopped going on road trips except when it is unavoidable, adding that
he was also considering getting more security attachment.
He said, “I
believe that it is the duty of the government to protect lives and properties.
Either as a lawmaker or not, the government owes you that duty. But being a
lawmaker exposes you to such people (criminals) more and I believe that the
onus is on all of us (lawmakers) to take our security seriously.
“Someone
like me did not believe in going around with persons for security but right
now, I have to start thinking about it. I didn’t believe that there was the
need to move about with security detail, the reason being that I am loved in my
constituency and connected with them.
“But it is
getting beyond that now and we now have to take our security seriously. The law
enforcement agencies must also support us lawmakers.”
When asked
if he had made adjustments to his movements, especially on the roads, Akanbi
replied, “Of course, road travels have disappeared on my radar especially now
that the airports are operating. It is now suicidal to go on road trips unless
something urgent happens and there are no flights.”
Also,
Senator Danjuma La’ah (Peoples Democratic Party, Kaduna South), expressed his
fears over the spate of robberies and kidnappings in the country. He
specifically identified the Abuja-Kaduna Road as becoming a national
embarrassment.
La’ah, who
accused security agencies of failing to protect lives and properties,
therefore, called for the establishment of vigilante groups.
He said,
“Certainly, I am jittery. As a matter of fact, I am not safe, not to mention
the fact that there are other people too. If I could have security at my own
end, all other persons should have security as well. The security in my
constituency is not enough. The policemen and soldiers (deployed in the area)
are not doing well, I must confess.
“It is a
difficult situation and we are trying to find a solution to it; that is why we
are calling for the creation of vigilante groups. If we continue to rely on
policemen and soldiers; honestly, at the end of the day, somebody will come and
pick us up from our homes, butcher us and kill our families. The earlier we
find a solution to it, the better.”
When asked
if he still took the Abuja-Kaduna Road, which leads to his constituency, but
where several armed robbery and kidnapping incidents had been recorded, La’ah
said, “In fact, Kaduna-Abuja Road is a very terrible road, so much that if the
Federal Government does not live to its expectation (on the security of its
users), it will be a disgrace.”
The senator
expressed fear that the security situation might get to the point where foreign
diplomats would be kidnapped and it would lead to diplomatic rows between
Nigeria and foreign allies.
Another
senator from the South-West, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had
also limited her movements on Nigerian roads.
She added
that as part of her tactics to reduce her road trips, she designed her schedule
such that she could combine multiple activities in one trip.
She said,
“It is very clear that the government is not capable or proactive enough to
prevent kidnappings. Before relatives of a kidnapped victim get the ransom to
pay and even after payment, the victim would have suffered. Some people could
die in the process.
“Now, we
have to reduce visits; we now have to achieve more things in one trip so that
one is not on the road every time. If you are on the road, so many things you
did not envisage could happen. So, one has to be very careful.”
Senator Mao
Ohuabunwa (PDP, Abia North), said he now put more emphasis on “where,” “when”
and “how” in his movements, adding that he was being more careful on how he
exposed himself to the public.
Ohuabunwa
said, “Definitely, one has to protect himself. One is now more cautious where
one goes, how one moves and at what time. It is not just about the security
apparatus or law enforcement agents or gun wielding security men; one must also
apply some measures to help oneself. These include reducing road trips and
(public) exposure.”
The lawmaker
identified the alleged misconception about the budget of the National Assembly
as one of the reasons why criminals were after lawmakers.
He said,
“Legislators are the most vulnerable (people) because they have no proper
security (model) compared to those in the executive.
“Also, they
are the closest to the people, which makes them very vulnerable to kidnapping.
It is important that we look at this issue seriously and ensure that adequate
security is provided for the legislature.
“Also, there
is this wrong impression about the legislature and its budget. When people hear
about the budget figure, they simply divide it by 469 (360 members in the House
of Representatives and 109 members in the Senate), believing that a lawmaker
goes about with huge amounts of money. So everybody wants to get their own bit
of the pie directly or indirectly. Our security calls for serious attention.”
Further
investigations by Saturday PUNCH indicated that lawmakers from the South-East
and South-South have also beefed up security around themselves.
A lawmaker
from a state in the South-South, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said,
“There was a time when kidnapping was an everyday problem in the South-East and
South-South states.
“We members
from the zones always had additional armed personnel for protection and the
situation remains the same till today. We always travel home well guarded.”
The lawmaker
confided in Saturday PUNCH that he was in his village without his police
orderly to avoid attracting undue attention to himself.
“I am in my
village right now, but do you know that people are not aware that I am at home?
“My orderly
is in Abuja. I am comfortable this way. If they sight him, they will start
sniffing around, asking whether I am at home,” the member of the House of
Representatives added.
When
contacted, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr.
Abdulrazak Namdas, said on some occasions, members might need the services of
extra policemen or other security personnel.
He said,
“For example, if a member has a constituency project to inaugurate or he has
some other functions, he may ask for additional security personnel.
“This is
important because we are in a political environment. Some people may decide to
sponsor some persons to come and disrupt the programme to score political
points.
“So, to
avoid that kind of scenario, you may request for additional hands.”
Also, Mr.
Falai Olotu of the Akoko North-East Constituency, Ondo State, said one of the
means he had devised to protect himself was to dress modestly and not reveal
himself as a lawmaker whenever he is going to his constituency or travelling to
his hometown.
“Anytime I
want to go to my constituency, I don’t go with flashy cars; I don’t wear
expensive clothes that will reveal my identity. So, if I am passing, you will
never know who I am and I don’t take police escort to my constituency.’’
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