The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has opposed the extension of the state of emergency rule declared in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, saying it has no purpose, and stresses differences, and instead further endangers innocent citizens.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has opposed the extension of the state of emergency rule declared in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, saying it has no purpose, and stresses differences, and instead further endangers innocent citizens.
In a statement issued by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, it read, “MURIC advises the Federal Government not to extend the emergency rule. It has only succeeded in impoverishing innocent civilians. In fact, emergency rules are becoming anachronistic around the world. What the Federal Government needs to do is to be more proactive. The security agents should focus more on intelligence gathering. More policemen and SSS should be recruited, and their welfare should be improved. The FG must also spend more money on the army and acquire better weapons. More importantly, the excess security men around the capitalist comprador bourgeoisie should be drastically reduced.”
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The statement also complained against concentrating security forces on prominent Nigerians, saying, (“the) MURIC condemns the concentration of the security paraphernalia around ministers, high-ranking politicians and other influential people. It beats our imagination that those who can afford to employ private security details, are ‘feeding fat’ on the jamaheer (the poor masses,) thereby exposing them to great danger.
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“It is nauseating that a tiny cabal monopolizes the insufficient number of policemen and other security agents. This robs the rest of the Nigerian society of adequate policing and the few security agents who are left, are overwhelmed by the pressure of work.”
The body also expressed dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s police ration: “MURIC reminds the Federal Government that the United Nations recommends one policeman for every 488 civilians. The Nigeria Police has about 310,177 officers and men, while the State Security Services (SSS) has about 33,000 personnel. These figures reflect numerical deficiency because for Nigeria’s population of about 167 million Nigeria, needs at least 577,608 policemen. Our police-civilian population ratio today, read the MURIC statement, stands at 1,538.
“This is grossly inadequate. But the last nail in the coffin of security concerns in this country is the concentration of security apparatus around top government officials, and powerful politicians. This is our Achille’s heel, and the earlier the Federal Government plugs this yawning lacuna, the better.”
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