It
was learnt that many senators and House of Representatives’ members no
longer use official number plates on their vehicles in a bid to keep
starring eyes in check.
The Senate
Senators, members of the House of Representatives and the state
Houses of Assembly have devised various means to keep safe and protect
themselves in the wake of rising cases of kidnapping of eminent
citizens, including politicians.
Just three weeks ago, a lawmaker from Kano State, Mr. Garba
Umar-Durbunde, was kidnapped by gunmen along the Abuja-Kaduna Road,
after which he reportedly paid N10m ransom to secure his freedom.
Senator Jonah Jang’s aide was killed by kidnappers last weekend and
it was said that the former Plateau State governor was the target.
Investigations by Saturday PUNCH showed that one of the strategies
adopted by many federal lawmakers was to lie low to avoid being
identified in public and drawing attention to themselves.
It was learnt that many senators and House of Representatives’
members no longer use official number plates on their vehicles in a bid
to keep starring eyes in check.
For instance, a member of the House of Representatives, who spoke
on condition of anonymity, disclosed that in the past, it was
prestigious and fashionable for legislators to use their official number
plates but not anymore because of the level of insecurity in the
country.
The member asked, “Look around, how many members do you see using their number plates with ‘Rep’ boldly written and displayed?
“Before now, it was fashionable to do so. The number plates
could open the way for you because it identified you as a VIP; but not
anymore because of security concerns.
“These days, people do not want to be identified as lawmakers.
When a member uses the official number plate, you will find out that it
will be covered.
“Covering the plates ordinarily means that they are not riding in the vehicles, but the truth is that they are there in them.
“Generally, they want to keep a low profile. Some prefer that
they are not noticed at all than for them to be noticed with a retinue
of policemen, which draws attention.”
A senator, who also spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of
being identified as a target by kidnappers, confirmed that some of his
colleagues had also stopped using their official number plates for
security reasons, saying “everyone is being careful not to draw
attention to themselves because kidnapping is on the increase and you
can’t know who is good and who is planning evil.”
The lawmaker representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Senator
Adesoji Akanbi, told Saturday PUNCH that inasmuch as he was not keen on
going about with his personal security detail, the rising spate of
insecurity in the country, especially kidnappings of rich and prominent
Nigerians for ransom, had changed his view.
Akanbi said he had stopped going on road trips except when it is
unavoidable, adding that he was also considering getting more security
attachment.
He said, “I believe that it is the duty of the government to
protect lives and properties. Either as a lawmaker or not, the
government owes you that duty. But being a lawmaker exposes you to such
people (criminals) more and I believe that the onus is on all of us
(lawmakers) to take our security seriously.
“Someone like me did not believe in going around with persons
for security but right now, I have to start thinking about it. I didn’t
believe that there was the need to move about with security detail, the
reason being that I am loved in my constituency and connected with them.
“But it is getting beyond that now and we now have to take our
security seriously. The law enforcement agencies must also support us
lawmakers.”
When asked if he had made adjustments to his movements, especially
on the roads, Akanbi replied, “Of course, road travels have disappeared
on my radar especially now that the airports are operating. It is now
suicidal to go on road trips unless something urgent happens and there
are no flights.”
Also, Senator Danjuma La’ah (Peoples Democratic Party, Kaduna
South), expressed his fears over the spate of robberies and kidnappings
in the country. He specifically identified the Abuja-Kaduna Road as
becoming a national embarrassment.
La’ah, who accused security agencies of failing to protect lives
and properties, therefore, called for the establishment of vigilante
groups.
He said, “Certainly, I am jittery. As a matter of fact, I am
not safe, not to mention the fact that there are other people too. If I
could have security at my own end, all other persons should have
security as well. The security in my constituency is not enough. The
policemen and soldiers (deployed in the area) are not doing well, I must
confess.
“It is a difficult situation and we are trying to find a
solution to it; that is why we are calling for the creation of vigilante
groups. If we continue to rely on policemen and soldiers; honestly, at
the end of the day, somebody will come and pick us up from our homes,
butcher us and kill our families. The earlier we find a solution to it,
the better.”
When asked if he still took the Abuja-Kaduna Road, which leads to
his constituency, but where several armed robbery and kidnapping
incidents had been recorded, La’ah said, “In fact, Kaduna-Abuja Road
is a very terrible road, so much that if the Federal Government does
not live to its expectation (on the security of its users), it will be a
disgrace.”
The senator expressed fear that the security situation might get to
the point where foreign diplomats would be kidnapped and it would lead
to diplomatic rows between Nigeria and foreign allies.
Another senator from the South-West, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said she had also limited her movements on Nigerian roads.
She added that as part of her tactics to reduce her road trips, she
designed her schedule such that she could combine multiple activities in
one trip.
She said, “It is very clear that the government is not capable
or proactive enough to prevent kidnappings. Before relatives of a
kidnapped victim get the ransom to pay and even after payment, the
victim would have suffered. Some people could die in the process.
“Now, we have to reduce visits; we now have to achieve more
things in one trip so that one is not on the road every time. If you are
on the road, so many things you did not envisage could happen. So, one
has to be very careful.”
Senator Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP, Abia North), said he now put more
emphasis on “where,” “when” and “how” in his movements, adding that he
was being more careful on how he exposed himself to the public.
Ohuabunwa said, “Definitely, one has to protect himself. One is
now more cautious where one goes, how one moves and at what time. It is
not just about the security apparatus or law enforcement agents or gun
wielding security men; one must also apply some measures to help
oneself. These include reducing road trips and (public) exposure.”
The lawmaker identified the alleged misconception about the budget
of the National Assembly as one of the reasons why criminals were after
lawmakers.
He said, “Legislators are the most vulnerable (people) because they have no proper security (model) compared to those in the executive.
“Also, they are the closest to the people, which makes them
very vulnerable to kidnapping. It is important that we look at this
issue seriously and ensure that adequate security is provided for the
legislature.
“Also, there is this wrong impression about the legislature and
its budget. When people hear about the budget figure, they simply
divide it by 469 (360 members in the House of Representatives and 109
members in the Senate), believing that a lawmaker goes about with huge
amounts of money. So everybody wants to get their own bit of the pie
directly or indirectly. Our security calls for serious attention.”
Further investigations by Saturday PUNCH indicated that lawmakers
from the South-East and South-South have also beefed up security around
themselves.
A lawmaker from a state in the South-South, who spoke on condition
of anonymity, said, “There was a time when kidnapping was an everyday
problem in the South-East and South-South states.
“We members from the zones always had additional armed
personnel for protection and the situation remains the same till today.
We always travel home well guarded.”
The lawmaker confided in Saturday PUNCH that he was in his village
without his police orderly to avoid attracting undue attention to
himself.
“I am in my village right now, but do you know that people are not aware that I am at home?
“My orderly is in Abuja. I am comfortable this way. If they
sight him, they will start sniffing around, asking whether I am at
home,” the member of the House of Representatives added.
When contacted, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, said on some occasions, members might
need the services of extra policemen or other security personnel.
He said, “For example, if a member has a constituency project
to inaugurate or he has some other functions, he may ask for additional
security personnel.
“This is important because we are in a political environment.
Some people may decide to sponsor some persons to come and disrupt the
programme to score political points.
“So, to avoid that kind of scenario, you may request for additional hands.”
Also, Mr. Falai Olotu of the Akoko North-East Constituency, Ondo
State, said one of the means he had devised to protect himself was to
dress modestly and not reveal himself as a lawmaker whenever he is going
to his constituency or travelling to his hometown.
“Anytime I want to go to my constituency, I don’t go with
flashy cars; I don’t wear expensive clothes that will reveal my
identity. So, if I am passing, you will never know who I am and I don’t
take police escort to my constituency.’’
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