Some violent criminal groups in Rivers State would perfect their plans to strike and set off for action, but something would go wrong. The police would arrive at the nick of time and bust everything. The gang would hardly understand that the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency (RIVNESCA) has bounced back.
RIVNESCA is created by Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Law No. 8 of 2018 with a mandate to establish the Rivers State Neighborhood Safety Corps Agency. The chairman is a retired Brigadier-General, Woriboye Dick and other six board members with four security and statutory members.
As the recruits got to their training ground at Nonwa in Tai LGA on November 29, 2018, troops from the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, stormed the area claiming to be on routine surveillance.
According to a statement issued later in the day by the then Army Deputy Public Relations Officer, Aminu Ilyasu, then a colonel, the troops met recruits undergoing alleged military training. The Army disbanded the effort and this kicked off a faceoff between the army division and the Rivers State government which has continued to accuse the Army of dabbling into partisan politics.
RIVNESCA or Neighbourhood Watch is said to be a community-based intelligence platform designed to encourage and consolidate an effective security synergy between the security agencies and communities. “It is a security strategy that will boost preemptive and crime prevention approach geared towards reducing the series of violent attacks in our communities.
“This is a people-oriented security platform designed to complement the efforts of our security agencies in curbing the prevailing security challenges in the State in particular and country at large,” according to messages on its website.
In an interview with the Director-General, Mike Uche Chukwuma, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, said the agency has won all the cases it instituted in court or instituted on its behalf to win freedom to operate. One particular case seeks monetary compensation for the action of November 29, 2018.
With legal huddles cleared, Governor Nyesom Wike is said to have given the nod for work to resume, though skeletal services were going on while the lacuna lasted.
Chukwuma, known in his years in the police as ‘The Noble Policeman’ which actually is the title of his first book on security and the police, said the system of watching the neighbourhood outside the regular police framework had been in existence for long but this got legal backing in 2018.
“Formal recruitment took place but training was disrupted, court processes followed and dogged its takeoff but the agency won.”
“After the court cases, it is time to regroup and move forward. After the court cases, I single-handedly recruited some youths who ordinarily would have been tempted to go into agitation (militancy). We placed them on intelligence roles. His Excellency has now acted,” he said.
On steps so far taken, he mentioned relocation to the Rivers State Secretariat (17th floor) and that some recruitment is being done to start operations. “For now, it’s information gathering and sharing with the police and SSS, etc”. The recruitment is first batch, he revealed.
The duties of the operatives are not actually limited, he added. “We work to nip crime in the bud. We pick up sensitive information and get it to the nearest security agency and this is copied to the NW headquarters so we can monitor how it was used. We are now ready to take off fully.”
For motivation, he said list of personnel has been submitted for salaries to begin. The Agency is also waiting for vehicles and wages to move faster. Now, he added, undercover operations are to be intensified. The police are already recording successes due to some information-sharing activities. The leadership has paid visits to some security agencies in the state to seek collaboration and educate them on how the system works to reduce suspicion and likely clash.
Many people have wondered how the RIVNESCA would relate with the many black-clad men seen on most roads in the state going by name of SPACs (Security Peace & Advisory Council) which began from Omoku known as OSPAC. The DG who hails from Onelga (Ogba/Egbema area) said the agency has power to regulate and supervise the vigilante groups or the security peace and advisory councils, call them to order, or even cause them to be disbanded. “When NW is ready, the SPACs will have to work with Agency’s local council teams.”
Security perception in Rivers State: A canopy of fear
The DG said the truth is different with the perception being created. “I know what is happening. Rivers issue is overblown, aimed at maligning. Its propaganda, politics, but some indigenes allowed this.
“This has created a canopy of fear. We keep warning that leaders should never mix security with politics. This kills the economy because outfits would get wrong tips. Rivers insecurity situation is not even up o what obtains in most other states. Rivers, in fact, is peaceful and thus, attractive to investors.
“Being a top security officer, I can tell you that no state has given anything near what Rivers State has given to the police and other security agencies over the years. Giving or supporting the security agencies in very high magnitude is our tradition and it overflows: vehicles, APCs, gunboats, communication equipment, armoured jets, etc.”
Deployment issues
He said the problem seems to be in deployment of what is given by the state government. “Deployment of these donations bothers me. See Operation Sting, for instance. The vehicles should have been used for Rivers situations. Instead you see them heading to anti-bunkering operations (going to bunkering areas) probably because such beats are lucrative and prone to corruption. They seem to leave the city and other areas.
South East
He said security is expensive and that state governments must learn to invest in security. The situation in Imo State (where unknown gunmen attacked security outfits) is long overdue. There is intelligence aspect of security which is essential. Look into the relationship of political leadership of Imo government, Eastern Security Network (ESN) and the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), etc. What has Ohanaeze done? Any intelligence network?”
He went on: “Do security agencies build intelligence web? How do they report? Lukewarm attitude of security personnel is sad. Hostile attitude to the masses is bad. There is thus the need to get them to be people-friendly so you can tap intelligence. Democracy must touch the security world. Neighbourhood Watch is people’s security. It is not for Governor Wike, it is not for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”
He said even the choice of the uniform was carefully done to reflect friendliness and reliability. “I am ready to offload what I had in mind for the police.”
Security philosophy and motivation in the police
He theorised that the people sleep believing the police is there; the police patrol because they believe God is there. “I know some of the antics of policemen on duty especially at night. The patrol team would start their siren very far from the scene of the armed robbery incident. This simply warns the armed men ahead. I led many night patrols and I usually told my men never to do such. Your objective is to catch the robbers, so, why do you warn them you are coming?
“I guess there are many reasons why they do this. There is no insurance worthy of motivation. The insurance is a laughing stock. I will not try such daring operations again, looking at what the insurance is.”
Return of C4i in Rivers State
This outfit was set up in the Chibuike Amaechi years but was heavily suspected and openly criticised by the then opposition. It was disbanded by the Wike administration and some say the equipment were discarded.
Now, Chukwuma says it has been reformed to focus at the local councils. “It’s part of the police. It is good for homegrown approach and local councils-based. No more jack of all trade approach, but stay there in your LGA, take responsibility. I pray they don’t get diverted attention to bunkering too. If resources they have are focused to real security, there will be next to zero crime level.”
On other causes of insecurity in the state, the one-time police public relations officer (PPRO) mentioned what he called frequent change of commissioners of police. “When the state government hands over huge resources to a CP, he is removed and nobody gives account of the resources. The new CP looks up for his own. We have gone from Rapid Response Team (RRT) to Swift operation Squad (SOS) to Operation Sting, etc. I once commanded SOS before becoming Provost.”
Averting likely friction with security agencies
Chukwuma made it clear that the Neighbourhood Watch was not set to compete with security agencies but to complement their efforts but would not want them to toy with the RIVNESCA sensitive reports to them. The expert on community policing said it does not end in supply of information but to follow it up. “It has been there since 1285 when the police was started.
Calls for a national security summit:
He supported the call and said it would be an opportunity for Nigerians to look at the 1999 Constitution again and look at the structure of the police, not human heads. “In my books, I called for changes in the police but nobody paid heed. It is sad that we are still largely operating the police system we inherited in 1861 with 30 slaves captured in Jebba.
In 1930, police amalgamation took place.
“In 1964, indigenisation took place, but there has been no change. For instance, there are 16 stages of promotion journey. This should be changed. Previous presidents since 1999 such as Olusegun Obasanjo, Umoru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan, all set up committees to reform the police, but nothing significant happened. Somebody will still be 10 years on one rank. This summit is overdue. Every group should put in a word to find solution to deteriorating insecurity in the land. Then, the resolutions would be sent to the National Assembly. If we start with internal security, then other forms of security will naturally fall in place.
“The police are over-centralised so far. Traditional rulers, the clergy, retired civil servants, business moguls, academics, etc should get involved in designing a new security architecture. People must not all come physically, some can send memoranda. Then, a committee would be raised to study all and harmonise it and draft a paper for the National Assembly.
“Let states that are able start their own police to operate with Federal police as is done in the US. Whatever we were protecting in not accepting state policing has been eroded. Are governors truly chief security officers of their states? This should be treated at the summit. Decentralise police structure.
“There will be no conflict as people tend to fear. You know your limits, so long as it works for public interest. This will be easier. For now, order from an IG takes five stages to reach action point. It is lamentable that most police officers have no self-confidence anymore.”
