The worsening security situation in Northern Nigeria is no longer merely a concern—it has become a full-blown crisis threatening the lives and liberties of millions. Kidnapping, once considered the work of hardened criminals, is now perceived as a lucrative trade. Even more disturbing is the encroachment of this practice into governance, with reports of state authorities detaining citizens under questionable circumstances, particularly young protesters. These developments raise difficult questions about the strength and integrity of leadership in Northern Nigeria and leave us wondering whether the region still has leaders who genuinely represent its people.

The recent detention of minors, allegedly in unhealthy conditions, illustrates this chilling trend. These young individuals were reportedly taken by the authorities while engaging in a protest to call for better governance. Their alleged crime? Waving a foreign flag, in this case, the Russian flag, which authorities deemed treasonous. They did so, perhaps naively, without recognizing the potential implications, yet the state treated them with severity, reportedly requiring a staggering N10 million per person as bail. In contrast, individuals in Southern Nigeria have raised foreign flags and voiced secessionist sentiments without facing equivalent punishments.

This discrepancy raises difficult questions about the consistency of the law and whether it is applied equally across the country. Why are Northern youth held to such strict standards while similar actions in other regions seem to be treated with leniency? Historically, the North was known for its stalwart leaders—individuals who stood up for the people, challenged the government when necessary, and never allowed the region to be compromised. Leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, and Malam Aminu Kano left a legacy of dignity, integrity, and advocacy for Northern interests. These figures prioritized the wellbeing of their people, standing up against exploitation and injusticeTheir voices resonated across Nigeria, leaving an indelible mark on the nation’s political landscape. Today, however, the lack of a unified voice from Northern leaders is disheartening. In the past, these leaders would not have hesitated to demand justice for the detained minors or to negotiate on behalf of their people. Now, the silence of Northern elites on issues like insecurity, youth incarceration, and poor governance has left a void. Instead of elders standing firmly to shield and protect the region’s youth, we are witnessing a tragic indifference that has left many young people feeling abandoned. This crisis of leadership in Northern Nigeria has had severe consequences. Kidnapping and banditry are ravaging communities, youth are disillusioned, and the voices of the people are ignored or, worse, suppressed.

The North is bleeding, and without intervention, the situation will continue to deteriorate. To the elders of the North, if indeed they still exist in spirit and purpose, it is time to rise. The North needs a collective, principled voice to stand against injustice and ensure that the region’s youth are protected and that their futures are not sacrificed to lawlessness or state oppression. The need for Northern Nigeria to reclaim its dignified, protective, and principled leadership has never been more urgent. It is time to break the silence.

Abubakar Ibrahim can be reach via:

habuibrahim76@gmail.com
+2348098454956

Adnan Mukhtar T Wada

There’s a Chinese proverb that says, “the mighty oak falls, while the flexible willow survives.” This saying implies that even the strong and mightiest can fall or fail, while the seemingly weak and insignificant remain standing. The secret to this does not lie in egoistic tendencies, machiavellian plots or deploying attack dogs to undertake one’s biddings. It lies in humility, adaptability and resilience, reminding us that true strength lies not in external power, but in internal flexibility and determines willingness to recognise and heed proper advice when given one.

I initially hesitated to respond to the rejoinder on my article about Senator Barau’s poor political strategy. However, I’ve decided to address it for two key reasons: to provide further clarification on the senator’s strategy and to set the record straight that my opinions are entirely my own, unbiased and uninfluenced by any external sponsorship.

But first, I will like to correct the character (or is it writer)’s tendency in quoting Quranic verses to hoodwink people gullibly. No true Muslim ever denies that it is Allah the supreme that gives power, but it is the Holy Quran itself that emphasises the importance of human action and responsibility.

For instance, Surah As-Saff Ayat 14 states that Allah helps those who help themselves, highlighting the need for human effort in achieving success. This verse shows that quoting Quranic verses to deceive innocent people doesn’t change the reality that our actions have consequences.

Additionally, Quran 13:11, says that Allah won’t change a people’s condition unless they change themselves. This verse underscores the importance of personal agency and reform.

It’s also essential to recognize that the Quran encourages reasoning and critical thinking. Quran 18:54 reminds us that humans are prone to disputes, but we should strive for constructive arguments, appealing to reason and acknowledging the truth.

These and many teachings of the Quran demonstrates that quoting Quranic verses to deceive others is misguided and doesn’t align with the principles of Islam. Attack dogs should be wary of how they throw our revered religion into the fray of greed.

Now to the crux of the matter, I’d like to first correct the character who responded to my article. The title of my piece is, “Senator Barau and his poor political strategy.” But by conveniently omitting the word “poor” while making reference to the article, I will think that they did not read the article comprehensively because they were in a rush to collect their little share of the national cake.

Those familiar with me in the media space and beyond can attest that I’m an independent thinker with unwavering ambition. Despite Senator Barau being old enough to be my father, I take pride in speaking truth to power, unafraid to challenge the status quo.

I have been writing and publishing articles in the national dailies since a year after completing my IJMB programme at Kano State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies, some 15 years ago. My digital footprint is there on the internet, the pseudonyms who were sponsored to write the rejoinders know this better.

My independent mind prompted my ambition to contest for election in 2019 and to aspire for the same office in 2022. I’m a media consultant with clients from different sectors and a university lecturer, I’m therefore too big to be sponsored by any individual for pecuniary interest much less one that involves Barau. The allegations are not only shallow but myopic and defensive in the absence of any substantial argument to counter the fact that indeed Barau’s political strategy is very poor!

That is why I found the rejoinder taken too personal, failing to address the issues raised. This has proven the title of my article referring to Senator Barau as a politician with a poor strategy from day one. The strategy he is using to respond to me is in itself a failed one.

It’s baffling that a supposedly seasoned politician like Senator Barau would engage in a pointless battle with someone from his own Senatorial District simply to further his ambitions of becoming Kano’s governor. Considering his confrontational history with humble appointees like Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo, I question his ability to handle a formidable opponent like Murtala Sule Garo. Not only do they hail from the same local government, but Garo also boasts a broader support base and superior people mobilisation skills.

What’s more, Garo wields significant influence over the party structure in Barau’s own backyard, which is precisely why Barau seeks to oust Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as APC National Chairman. However, this move overlooks the fact that a former governor leads the party in the state, where there is currently no serving governor.

People like Abubakar Kabir Bichi and Engineer Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari, a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly are both grassroots politicians who were forces to reckon with in Barau’s 2023 election. He has been winning elections in this area because of the calibre of people in Kano North who are mostly of the APC.

The sponsored pseudonym accused me of not appreciating the role of destiny in Senator Barau’s ambition forgetting that it was the same Barau who displayed his desperation to convince the President to sack Abdullahi Gwarzo after not consulting any party official including Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at a time the former Minister scored 79 in his assessment scorecard. The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination will testify to this.

It was said that he did all the maneuvering to test his strength within the APC, it is evident that his little supporters are boasting of this but where is their faith in destiny when you are struggling to see the sacking of someone that did nothing to you?

Garba said and I quote “It is on record that since he ventured into politics, he has maintained a decent image devoid of rancour, acrimony or ill feelings towards others”.

Is it, not the same Barau and his people that were calling Murtala Sule Garo and the former Minister Gwarzo names shortly after the sack? Your people were even mocking him after he was removed boasting that their leader has come of age. Did Barau call any to order?

When people were trooping from the nook and crannies of Kano to sympathise with ATM Gwarzo, Barau was nowhere to be found, apparently due to his guilty conscience.

I have cautioned the Distinguished Senator to stop creating unnecessary enemies for himself in the zone he comes from. The Kano North is a no-go area for the NNPP, he should understand that even if you nominate 3 Ministers from Kano Central, they can’t defeat Senator Kwankwaso’s NNPP.

Kwankwaso is the strong man of Kano politics and is in full control of the Kano Central and Kano South. His only threat is the Kano North because of the aforementioned stakeholders.

Senator Barau should apply a new strategy of uniting party members by working together without plotting evil against anyone.

The defectors that he boasts of receiving, claiming that he is giving APC more strength is nothing short of a Kannywood movie in full glare. He should tell me any serious and grassroots supporter he has so far welcomed to the APC other than Kannywood actors and Tik Tokers in their desperation to collect their share of the National Cake ‘Awanki Gara’.

It’s evident that Barau is lacking in political strategy, people who lack that will be committing blunders at the helm of the affairs of Kano. It will be suicidal to elect a man of his calibre to govern a mega state like Kano.

The pseudonym boasts that the position of Deputy President of the Senate is bigger than the office of a governor. A whole governor? The Chief Security of Officer of a whole state? This writer should check his head again.

Kano needs someone who will be serious with governance, who will bring and attract investors not from receiving Tiktokers and Kannywood actors to receiving Nollywood and Bollywood actors at the Africa House.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed!

Adnan is a political commentator, he writes from Abuja

By Abba Anwar

The history of the Constabulary in Nigeria dates back to 1861 when the British colonial administration established the Lagos Constabulary. For maintaining law and order within the Protectorate.

In 1861 Lagos Constabulary formed with 30 men to maintain law and order in Lagos Colony. As time went on, the need for more hands in the art of maintaining law and order in Lagos arose, in 1879 the Constabulary expanded to 100 men.

Due to the good performance of Lagos Constabulary and the need to replicate similar security architecture in other regions, in 1890s to be precise, Constabularies established in other Nigerian territories, including the Royal Niger Company Constabulary.

The need for the expansion of this security agency for maintaining law and order, came handy, which necessitated its consolidation between 1900 to 1960.

For example in 1906, Northern and Southern Nigeria Constabularies merged to form the Nigerian Police Force. Meaning, Nigeria Police Force is an offshoot of Nigeria’s Constabulary.
While in 1914 Nigeria Police Force reorganized into the Northern and Southern Provincial Police Forces.

Few decades before Independence in 1930s to be precise, Nigeria Police Force expanded to include specialized units like Marine Police, Mounted Police, etc.

In Post-Independence from 1960 to present Nigeria there were many changes that occurred in the process. For example in 1960 Nigerian Police Force became a National Force after Independence.

From1967 to 1970 Nigerian Civil War led to significant expansion and reorganization of the Police Force in 1990s Nigerian Police Force restructured into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other specialized agencies for complying with modern policing.

In single and simple sentence, Constabulory is the mother of Nigeria Police Force, midwifed by many regimes.

Not only Nigeria Police Force, the primary law enforcement agency in the country, was created from Nigerian Constabulory, there are other agencies that were also created from the agency.
Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was established in 1967, it was renamed and restructured in 2003.

Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was established in 1988 as a specialized agency for road safety management.
Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) was established in 1963 as the Nigerian Immigration Department. It later became a paramilitary organization in 1992.

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) was established in 1892 as the Nigerian Customs Department. It later became a paramilitary organization in 1970.

While other specialized agencies, such as the State Security Service (SSS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), were also separately established to address specific security concerns. But these agencies were created outside Constabulory.

Understanding this history, the former Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, during his tenure 2015 to 2023, he made good use of the history and floated an excellent process to comply with the modern policing strategy, community policing.

He did it well, in such a way that, he brought together all the secure agencies and established operational rapport amongst them. This singular, but workable idea merged with political will, helped the state to become the most peaceful state in the federation, when Ganduje was captaining the ship.

Responding to his situation, the Nigerian state, local organizations and foreign organizations, appreciated Ganduje’s model as an excellent disposition of skilled and focused leadership, with unscathing and seamless political will and gave him Awards of Excellence in the area of security.

Kano witnessed one of her most peaceful era when Ganduje was on the throne. Ganduje believed that modern community policing strategy, Constabulary, plays a vital role in Nigeria and other nations. That was why he revived the role of traditional institutions in securing our local communities. He initiated Security Summits across our 5 Emirates in the state.

While understanding the role of all security agencies generally, he also amplified neighborhood patrols, where Constables engage in foot patrols, building relationships with residents, and addressing local concerns.

In the face of community engagement, his administration gave special consideration to the Constabulory participation in community meetings, events, and initiatives to foster trust and cooperation.

In the area of intelligence gathering, the administration of Ganduje linked the process to other security agencies with Constables as another sources to gather information on local crime trends and share with other agencies. This gave way to harmonious working relationship with all the security agencies.

It is believe that Nigeria Police Force burden in enforcing and maintaining law and order, in the country, gets helping hand from Constables, who serve as frontline officers in community policing.
It is evident how Community Police Officers (CPOs) work closely with local leaders and residents. While Special Constabularies (e.g., Railway Police, Port Police) focus on specific areas.

Community policing as enunciated and supported by Constabulory body is a global trend and relevant in modern policing. In the United Kingdom for example Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) support constables in community policing.

In United States of America Community Police Officers and Neighborhood Police Officers engage in community-focused policing. While in Australia Community Constables work with indigenous communities. As in Canada where Community Police Officers focus on building relationships and trust.

It is evidently clear that there are underlying benefits of Constabulary in Community Policing across the globe in recent time. Such as improved community relationships, enhanced trust, reducing crime, increased intelligence gathering, more effective problem-solving, among many others.

But all these benefits are not without challenges. As it is obtainable elsewhere. But fundamentally speaking, Constabulory activities and Police core responsibilities, should be made to become more blended and proactive. As it is the case in more developed societies. As evidently given above.

Anwar was former Chief Press Secretary to the former Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. He can be reached at fatimanbaba1@gmail.com
November, 2024