Ever since the Twin Towers in New York went down on September 11, 2001 with the lives of thousands of people, in an unprecedented bombing masterminded by al-Qaeda, the condemnation of the group's activities has remained overwhelming globally. The world is also united by the apprehension that goes with its threats- real and imagined. So, when the Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, was widely reported to have alerted the Conference of Senior Police Officers at Obudu, Cross River State about the likelihood of a strike by the dreaded organisation, many Nigerians had cause to fear. Okiro was said to be emphatic on the matter: "The al-Qaeda network has threatened to send time bombs to Nigeria. The AIG Surveillance should intensify surveillance while the CP Airwing, CP Border Patrol and the CPs of all Commands should be on the alert and ensure that these items (bombs) do not pass through their end." We also note that shortly after the mass media went to town with that order, a release was purportedly issued by the police high command, dismissing it as "totally misleading and false," and insisted that "for the avoidance of doubt, the Inspector General of Police's only public pronouncement on terrorism was on 10th March, 2008 during the inauguration of the anti-terrorism squad when he said, 'the creation of the new outfit is borne out of our mission to safeguard our environment against terrorism, even though the nation has not experienced terrorist attack; we don't have to wait until it happens before we start to prepare.' "
In a way, that rebuttal has lent credence to the anxiety generated by the warning ascribed to Okiro. And since al-Qaeda's morbid drama has become a possibility worldwide, energies should be diverted from proving the authenticity of the IGP's declaration and rechanneled into addressing the issues that border on the nation's territorial and internal security.
Anything short of that would be diversionary and counter-productive. In fact, denying the dangers of al-Qaeda would be escapist and could ridicule the readiness of our security agencies to rise to the occasion and enhance domestic safety. If Nigeria's number one cop who instituted the anti-terrorism squad only two months ago cannot talk tough about its capability but instead sounds pacifist, he could unwittingly give the citizenry false hope and the terrorists a window into the deficiences of the police. That would be unfortunate indeed. But appearing apologetic would only be a part of the tragedy of insecurity that has continued to envelope the nation.
As we have repeatedly canvassed on this page, true security can only be achieved if the root causes of criminality are eliminated. It has since been proved that groups like al-Qaeda depend mainly on youths, especially those not adequately catered for by the social system, for their workforce. Sadly, in Nigeria today, a large army of uneducated, semi-educated, unemployed and disaffected young people exists. The restiveness now experienced in some parts of the country is traceable to this situation. And if no pragmatic steps are taken to positively engage such energetic Nigerians, they could easily be enticed and recruited for more sophisticated evil assignments. Apart from tackling economic and social disequilibrium, however, relevant security organs should be well equipped for the days ahead. In addition to tightening the borders which are porous at the moment, the illegal aliens in the country need to be urgently identified and treated accordingly. And the earlier Nigerians are sensitized about the horrors of terrorism, the better. Waiting for calamity to be executed before preparing against it would be unwise and costly.
