As the year 2008 draws to a close, Nigeria, Africa's most popular country, is scrambling to stabilized its economy beset by a growing list of political and social difficulties.
Politically, the country began the year still with the controversy surrounding the April 21, 2007 presidential election, with petitions filed by the opposition Action Congress (AC) presidential candidate, former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari of the opposition All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP).
On Dec. 12, 2008, the Nigerian Supreme Court finally upheld the results of the 2007 presidential election in which incumbent President Umaru Yar'Adua emerged as a winner.
During the outgoing year, the spate of robbery in Nigeria is shocking which post a threat to the social order. The fact is that ordinary Nigerians are living in the morbid fear of when or whether a gang of robbers might strike them.
As the year draws to an end, it appears that the crime put police in test who are seen to have lost in the battle to protect the lives and properties of Nigerian citizens.
In a recent incident, at least 10 people were feared killed in Nigeria's southwest Osun State during a bank robbery.
A gang of robbers, mostly teenagers, reportedly raided in four banks before the police came to the scenes and brought the situation under control.
Nigerians are now at the mercy of robbers because of the lack of equipment, which seems to have dampened the morale of the security men.
According to top police officers, there is the need to decentralize the country's police force.
"Yet there will be police outfits run by the three tiers of government, this will pave the way for effective policing in the country," police sources said.
Some are of the opinions that armed robbery has now become a national challenge and only the police as currently constituted cannot handle the situation.
In the Lagos metropolis, the situation has not been different. Recently, a gang of robbers disguised in police and military uniforms stormed shops and fuel stations in many areas in the state.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer Frank Mba played down the state of insecurity, insisting that there is no increase in the rate of crime in the state as reported by the media.
However, the robbery attacks reported in the state have proven that the police spokesman's claim is untrue.
In related claims, Nigeria's Inspector General of Police (IG) Mike Okiro said there was a decrease in crime rate in the country compared to the previous years.
But barely 24 hours after the big wigs of the Nigeria Police stated this, commercial banks in two Nigeria's southwest states closed early Friday for business over fear of attacks by armed robbers.
The inspector general of police recently shocked Nigerians when he declared that he did not know the exact number of policemen under his watch.
Okiro said all he has is a mere estimate of the total number of policemen in the country.
The police boss simply blamed the situation on the non-availability of correct data on all officers and men of the force.
He said that he has demanded that new identity cards be issued to all policemen before the end of the year.
Another major national security challenge comes from the oil rich Niger Delta region of the country.
Vandalism is estimated to result in thousands of barrels of crude oil wastage every day, a loss to the Nigerian economy of millions of U.S. dollars each year.
The Niger Delta is an unstable area of Nigeria, and inter ethnic clashes are common practices. Access to oil revenue is the trigger for the violence.
Over 200 foreigners have been seized in the Niger Delta since 2006. Though almost all have been released unharmed, but the ransom the militants have demanded from them is much more than people can imagine.
Attacks and bunkering on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta have cut Nigeria's output by around a fifth in recent years, helping push world oil prices to record highs since the beginning of 2006.
The unrest in the region has forced many international firms operating there to flee the area which has resulted in greater governmental concern over the area and the mobilization of the Nigerian army and coast-guard into the region.
The Nigerian governments and the security agencies at all levels are called upon to be proactive in fighting the menace of armed robbers in the country.
Source:Xinhua
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