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| Arase |
He was however confirmed as the substantive IGP on May, 12, 2015. Arase, who enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981, after graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1980, with a degree in Political Science, was already dusting and packing his belongings from office, in preparation to retire on June 21, 2016, when he was suddenly appointed as the IGP. Arase’s appointment stunned security observers.
Some said President Goodluck- Jonathan’s appointment was an embarrassment to the soft spoken Arase, since the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari wouldn’t retain him anyway, as he is likely to prefer his own team and loyalists. But it’s apparent that, Arase wouldn’t lose either way. Head or tail, he would go down in history and memory as one of the IGPs of Nigeria Police. He would also be entitled to pensions accrued to IGPs.
The only snag? He may never have enough time and opportunity to showcase his innate policing brilliance and reformists ideas. He came too late. Like most DIGs, he had taken a shot at the position after former IGP Mohammed Abubakar, but was beaten by his predecessor, Suleiman Abba.
A few, perhaps, parochial people have argued that Jonathan, replaced Abba with Arase to compensate him for something, while others insisted that Arase was appointed because he came from the Niger Delta axis, like Jonathan. But the fact most of these people failed to realize is that Arase happens to be one of the most brilliant and innovative policemen in the Nigeria Police Force today.
As a matter of fact, Arase was actually supposed to have been made the IGP before Abba, but mother luck, politicians and politics gave him the back bench. A lot of political intrigues dragged Abba into the mantle of the police leadership. These intrigues were over shadowed by the then forthcoming April elections. Civil Society Organisations (CSO) gave knocks to Abba while he was in office, beginning with the scandalous display where esteemed lawmakers took to jumping fences like monkeys to gain entry into the hallowed chamber. Policemen, not only fired canisters tear gas at the lawmakers, but Abba and his men were accused of taking side with the ruling party.
He was seen as being partisan. CSOs further fueled this argument. Aside that, CSO also accused him of handling issues of human rights abuses with levity and not responding to petitions addressed to him on such issues. However, many believed that the political intrigues that brought Abba into office ushered him out. According to police sources, Abubakar annointed Arase as the next IGP after him, but while deliberation on the submitted list of names for the IGP position was going on, Arase had a fall out with Abubakar.
The heated confrontation allegedly stemmed from an intelligence report given to Abubakar by Arase on the likely attack that might occur at Nyanya Motor Park, FCT, Abuja. The police authority reacted too late and the dreaded Boko Haram militants struck, killing and injuring a lot of people.
Arase was not happy that his intelligence report was not acted upon and apparently nursed this anger for long. When it was clear Abubakar was leaving office, Arase bared his fangs and claws. They were said to have screamed at each other, with Arase yelling that Abubakar refused to act on the information he gave to him.
Abubakar, who was championing Arase and listed him as the next IGP, due to the man’s intelligence and acumen, unseated him from his back, forcing Arase to ride alone. Arase rode alone and lost the race.
But give or take, Arase would have been the needed reformist the police desperately required. He is just like Abubakar, willing and ready to change the force for the better. Even before his confirmation, Arase had started receiving visits from members of CSOs and human rights activists.
The themes of their discussions were on extrajudicial killings in Nigeria, rights of citizens and police conduct. Police road blocks which were banned by Abubakar, and stealthily crept back under Abba’s administration, had been ordered to remain banned by Arase.
In enforcing the Police Anti-Cor-ruption Initiative, Arase directed that ‘IGP Teams on Monitoring of Police Performance’ to immediately commence the monitoring of activities and conducts of police officers on the highways, police stations and formations nationwide.
Arase expressed his resolve to rid the Force of all forms of corruption and warned officers and men to desist from corrupt practices. He further urged officers and ‘I swallowed 70 wraps of cocaine in seven hours’ men of the Force to be mindful of the constitutional rights of the citizenry while performing their statutory duties, warning against excessive use of force and unjustifiable application of lethal weapons. He stressed that the Force would not hesitate to punish indicted officers who failed to follow rule of engagement.
Yes, it’s only a monitoring team that can begin to change the face of policing in Nigeria. But how does Arase hope to check the monitoring team from corruption and corrupt practices? Who monitors the monitors? Arase is a police reformist whose policing vision is premised on the commitment to intelligence-led policing strategies and community partnership. He has attended many international trainings and wanted to try them out in the Nigerian society.
But sadly, Arase may not last beyond or after May 29, 2015. If he is however allowed to ride until his retirement, a lot may be achieved in a year. Perhaps the greatest challenge before Arase, are the policemen working under him.
Arase, right from when he was Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos State, had ideas and ideals coloured with those of developed world. Will his men ever allow such lofty ideas and ideals to take root and flourish? Many policemen prefer the status quo. No doubt, Arase has his work cut out for him.
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