KIDNAPPING: POLITICIANS RUSH FOR POLICE PROTECTION

*Anxiety over attacks on lawmaker, PDP national vice-chairman

Following the growing wave of kidnappings and the general state of insecurity across the country, there has been an increasing demand for special police protection by top politicians and businessmen.

However, the police said they would not kowtow to demands that were unjustifiable due to the stringent procedures introduced by the present Police Management Team

National Mirror findings showed that the demand for bodyguards was prominent in Anambra, Imo and Abia states.

There is also a growing demand in Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue states ostensibly because of the wave of communal clashes in some parts of the three North-Central states.

It was gathered that some of the politicians staying outside their states usually visit home with a security detail of about five mobile policemen for fear of being attacked or kidnapped.

The rise in applications has also been in tandem with the increasing purchases of special armored vehicles by wealthy Nigerians.

The vehicles of choice include Mercedes Benz SUVs, Range Rovers and Toyota Land Cruiser which has entered the upscale special security vehicles market in Nigeria.

Several prominent Nigerians including politicians, government officials, movie stars, judges, university dons and their relatives have become victims of kidnappers in recent months.

Last December, Prof Kanene Okonjo, the mother of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, was kidnapped from her home in Delta State. An aide of Imo State governor, Nkiru Sylvanus, was kidnapped by a nine-man armed gang in the state last month. At the same time, the wife of Brig. Oluwole Rotimi was kidnapped. A few weeks later, mother of the Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly was also kidnapped.

Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said yesterday that while many applications have been received by the police from some moneybags, the force had declined to approve the applications in the interest of Nigerians.

Mba added that the IGP had continued to come under attack for refusing entreaties by some individuals to grant them special police protection.

“That there is an increase in the number of applications does not mean there has been a corresponding increase in the number of approvals.

“The Inspector-General of Police has made a lot of enemies because of the stringent procedures before obtaining the approval.

“The Force Headquarters has made a lot of enemies as a result. The IGP has incurred the wrath of his friends too because some of those who are making the applications used to be his friends, but if you do not have any justification for making such an application, he (IGP) will not agree.

“There have always been requests but the question is: What is the rate of approval? You will find out that out of all the applications that comes into the Force Headquarters, not more than 10 per cent would have been approved.

“There are people who are entitled to these things either because of their offices, businesses, contribution to GDP or the risk they are exposed to, but in all, he has been very strict and “stingy” in making such approvals.

“As a result, the IG has lost friends but the loss is based on principle. The IG believes that he is the Inspector General of Police for all Nigerians and not for a special class. He believes he has to provide safety for all Nigerians irrespective of class, religion, tribe or education.”

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had on assumption of office reiterated the position of the force on special protection when he stated, like his predecessor, Hafiz Ringim, that police escorts had been withdrawn from businessmen and politicians who were not entitled to have them.

Mba had however told journalists in Abuja last week that the payment of ransom had continued to serve as an incentive for the kidnappers.

“If Nigerians would cooperate with the security agents and refuse to pay ransom, then we can reduce the rate of kidnapping, but where people even refuse to cooperate with us and then go behind to pay ransom to secure the release of their relations without even carrying us along, then kidnapping will continue to happen in this country”, he said.

Meanwhile, anxiety heightens in Delta State yesterday over Saturday’s attack on the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu, and the National Vice- Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South/South, Dr. Steve Oru, by unidentified gunmen.

Elumelu, a former chairman of the disbanded power probe committee of the House, was attacked by gunmen at Eku, Ethiope East Local Government.

The gunmen defied his heavily fortified sirenblaring convoy as they launched sporadic gunshots, which led to the death of one of the policemen in the team.

The escort driver and another policeman were injured in the encounter.

They were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Benin-City, for medical attention.

Police sources told our correspondent that Elumelu, who represents Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in the House, escaped unhurt because he was driven in a bullet-proof vehicle.

Oru, who was injured, was on danger list at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.

The PDP chieftain, who was also a former National Deputy Secretary of the ruling party, encountered the same gunmen along the East/ West Road at Agbarho in Ughelli North council.

His police orderly was disarmed and killed in the encounter.

The hoodlums escaped with the service rifle of the fallen policeman.

Reliable police sources disclosed that the state police command was trying to establish the motive behind the attacks on the prominent politicians.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent yesterday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, described the security situation in the state as “deplorable.”

Aduba raised the alarm that some faceless persons were bent on making the state ungovernable, adding that recent developments in the state were strange to him.

He said: “Some unknown persons are desperate to make the state ungovernable otherwise how do you explain why they are shooting everybody? They have an agenda. What is happening in this state is very strange.

“We are trying our best and we will continue to do our best to contain them. We will return fire for fire but security is the responsibility of everybody. Members of the public must support us by giving us useful information to enable us achieve results.”

Source: National Mirror